Beta-carotene intake and breast cancer risk in 28 studies of people
What it found
Across 28 studies in people, eating beta-carotenoids was linked to a lower chance of developing breast cancer.
The authors say this dietary intake may help reduce that risk.
What they found
Studies in people
Lower breast cancer risk
The combined evidence from 28 studies in people showed a link between beta-carotenoid intake and breast cancer risk. Eating these compounds was tied to a lower chance of developing the disease.
Other findings
Study quality checks
The researchers rated the quality of all 28 included studies. They also checked each one for possible bias before grouping them by quality level.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that eating beta-carotenoids is linked to breast cancer risk in people.
- Their analysis suggests that getting these compounds through food may help lower the chance of developing breast cancer.
How it was done
Scientists suspect that what we eat affects the chance of getting breast cancer. Earlier work linked certain beta-carotenoids to lower risk, but details by tumour type and person were unclear.
They searched two medical databases for studies on people published between 2014 and 2020. Their search found 1559 results, and they kept 28 studies about beta-carotenoids and breast cancer. They checked each study for quality and possible bias.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These studies followed people over time or compared groups, so they can only show a link, not prove cause and effect.
- The review grouped several beta-carotenoids together, so it cannot show the effect of any single compound on its own.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Universitat de Valencia, Spain; Biomedical Research Center Network for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain
The paper
- Title
- Is There an Association between β-Carotene and Breast Cancer? A Systematic Review on Breast Cancer Risk
- Type
- Systematic review
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Peraita-Costa I, Carrillo Garcia P, Morales-Suárez-Varela M (2022). Is There an Association between β-Carotene and Breast Cancer? A Systematic Review on Breast Cancer Risk. Nutrition and cancer. doi:10.1080/01635581.2020.1865422PubMed 33356587DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error