Vitamins and phytochemicals and mortality

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

This paper seemed of interest in comparing vitamins and phytochemicals in

mortality. Vitamins E made no difference and neither did retinol. Most

things from vegetables and fruits did. Tomatoes are fruit. They were some

pretty impressive numbers. Rural Japanese is somewhat like CRONies.

Cheers, Al.

Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2002 Jul;72(4):237-50

Serum antioxidants and subsequent mortality rates of all causes or cancer

among rural Japanese inhabitants.

Ito Y, Suzuki K, Suzuki S, Sasaki R, Otani M, Aoki K.

“…….. Age- and gender-adjusted hazard ratios of the groups with high serum

levels of lycopene, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin/lutein, and total carotenoids

compared to those with low serum levels were 0.36 (95% C.I: 0.19-0.69), 0.53

(0.29-0.95), 0.73 (0.43-1.25), and 0.52 (0.30-0.92) for cancers of all

sites, and 0.44 (95% C.I: 0.28-0.69), 0.59 (0.39-0.90), 0.61 (0.40-0.93),

and 0.50 (0.33-0.76) for all causes, respectively. Similar results were

found after adjusting for gender, age, smoking habits, alcohol consumption,

and serum levels of total cholesterol and glutamic pyruvic transaminase

(GPT) activity. Moreover, after excluding mortality within the first three

years of follow-up, the hazard ratios of subjects with high serum levels of

lycopene, total carotenes, and total carotenoids were significantly and

inversely associated with subsequent mortality from all causes and cancers

of all sites after adjusting for gender, age, and serum levels of total

cholesterol, alpha-tocopherol, and retinol. These results suggest that high

serum levels of antioxidants, such as lycopene, beta-carotene and

zeaxanthin/lutein, play roles in preventing death from cancer and from all

causes. However, high serum levels of tocopherols and retinol did not

demonstrate clear associations with either low mortality rates from all

causes or cancer of all sites.”

PMID: 12214561 [PubMed - in process]

Alan Pater, Ph.D.; Faculty of Medicine; Memorial University; St. 's, NF

A1B 3V6 Canada; Tel. No.: (709) 777-6488; Fax No.: (709) 777-7010; email:

apater@...