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Human cancer risks are inversely correlated with (a) blood retinol and (b) dietary beta-carotene. Although retinol in the blood might well be truly protective, this would be of little immediate value without discovery of the important external determinants of blood retinol which (in developed countries) do not include dietary retinol or beta-carotene. If dietary beta-carotene is truly protective--which could be tested by controlled trials--there are a number of theoretical mechanisms whereby it might act, some of which do not directly involve its 'provitamin A' activity.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/290201a0

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nature

Publication Date

19/03/1981

Volume

290

Pages

201 - 208

Keywords

Africa, Eastern, Asia, Carotenoids, Diet, Europe, Forecasting, Humans, Neoplasms, Retinaldehyde, Surveys and Questionnaires, United Kingdom, United States, Vitamin A