When looking at how our diet affects long-term health, it can be hard to tell which specific nutrients actually make a difference. A large review of nutritional data looked for patterns between common vitamins, minerals, and the risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers.
The findings show that several nutrients were linked to lower risks. For example, lutein and beta-carotene showed a link to lower risks for all three types of cancer. Additionally, vitamin D, antioxidants, and soy were associated with lower risks for breast and ovarian cancers. Calcium and folic acid also showed links to lower risk for breast and uterine cancers.
It is important to remember that these results show associations, not direct causes. This means the study shows a link between what people eat and their cancer risk, but it does not prove that taking these nutrients will prevent cancer. Some factors had mixed results; for instance, omega-6 fatty acids were linked to lower risk in ovarian cancer but higher risk in breast cancer.