A new study has discovered that antioxidants such as vitamins C and E stimulate the growth of new blood vessels in cancer tumors, aiding their development and spread.
In order to grow and metastasize, cancer tumors require a continuous supply of oxygen-rich blood and nutrients. This necessitates the formation of additional new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis.
A new study finds that antioxidants can stimulate blood vessel growth in cancer tumors – (Image: DEPOSIT)
When tissues are deprived of oxygen, cancer cells in the affected areas send chemical signals to attract endothelial cells that connect with blood vessels to form new vessels.
A recent study by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden examined the mechanisms of angiogenesis and found that antioxidants play an unexpected role in tumor growth and spread.
Martin Bergö, the lead author of the study, stated: “We found that antioxidants activate mechanisms that cause cancer tumors to form new blood vessels. This is surprising because it was previously thought that antioxidants only served to protect blood vessels.”
According to Bergö, the new blood vessels nourish the tumors and can help them grow and spread.
Typically, antioxidants remove free oxygen radicals from the body’s cells and prevent or minimize damage caused by oxidative stress. The imbalance between free oxygen radicals and antioxidants is referred to as oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress can damage DNA and influence the progression of various types of cancer, including breast, lung, liver, colon, prostate, ovarian, and brain cancers.
The researchers noted that their findings highlight the potential risks of supplementing with antioxidants when unnecessary. They emphasize that most people do not need additional supplementation of these substances.
Previous studies have also indicated that antioxidants such as vitamins C and E have accelerated the development and spread of lung cancer.
