May lower risk
Carotenoid-rich foods
carrots, sweet potato, squash, greens. Vegetables & fruit.
- Verdict
- May lower riskSome studies point to lower risk, but it isn't confirmed.
- How sure
- Rung 2 · LimitedFew, small or conflicting human studies, or only indirect measures such as blood markers.
The rung shows how sure the science is, not how big the effect is. How to read these ratings
Cancers affected
Lung, breast
What the evidence shows
Foods containing carotenoids show limited but suggestive evidence of lower lung and breast cancer risk.
What to do
Get carotenoids from food. Beta-carotene pills raised lung cancer risk in smokers.
Sources
To take it to your doctor, print this page.
Step by step
For the whole picture, from prevention and screening to treatment and life after, see the breast cancer and lung cancer pages.