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Lutein, beta-carotene, and vitamin D are associated with lower risks of several gynecological and breast cancersSpecific nutrients show linked lower risks for certain women's cancers

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Key Takeaway
Note that several nutrients are associated with lower risk of breast and gynecological cancers in observational data.

This meta-analysis investigates the association between various nutritional exposures—including vitamins, minerals, and dietary components—and the risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers. The study utilized a specialized platform to synthesize evidence across multiple nutrients including folate, vitamin E, lutein, beta-carotene, vitamin D, antioxidants, soy, calcium, folic acid, iron, red meat, copper, and omega-6 fatty acids.

Key findings indicate that lutein and beta-carotene are significantly associated with lower risks of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers. Additionally, vitamin D, antioxidants, and soy were associated with lower risks for breast and ovarian cancers. Calcium and folic acid showed significant associations with lower risk for breast and uterine cancers. Conversely, iron, red meat, and copper were associated with higher risks for breast and uterine cancers. Specific findings for omega-6 fatty acids varied by cancer type, showing a higher risk for breast cancer but a lower risk for ovarian cancer. When restricted to dietary-intake studies, vitamin E was significantly associated with lower risk in both breast and ovarian cancers.

A noted limitation is that copper no longer met the two-study threshold for breast or uterine cancer after restriction to dietary-intake studies. The results are based on observational data; therefore, causal links between these nutrients and cancer risk are not established. The findings may assist researchers in hypothesis generation and evidence synthesis in nutritional epidemiology.

How this fits prior evidence

This meta-analysis addresses a gap in the systematic synthesis of nutritional epidemiology for gynecological and breast cancers. While previous coverage noted that community governance models can provide a framework to link oncology services with food assistance, this study provides specific data on how certain nutrients like lutein, beta-carotene, and vitamin D are associated with lower risks of these specific malignancies.

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.

What this means for you:
Certain vitamins and minerals like D, E, and calcium are associated with lower risks of some women's cancers.

Common questions

Which vitamins are linked to lower cancer risk?

The study found that vitamin D, vitamin E, and antioxidants were associated with lower risks for breast and ovarian cancers. Additionally, lutein and beta-carotene were associated with lower risks across all three types of cancer studied: breast, ovarian, and uterine.

Are there any nutrients linked to higher risk?

Some substances showed a link to higher risk. Iron, red meat, and copper were associated with higher risks for breast and uterine cancers. Additionally, omega-6 fatty acids were associated with a higher risk specifically for breast cancer.

Does this mean I should start taking these supplements?

These results show an association between nutrients and cancer risk, not a proven cause. Because the study is based on observational data rather than clinical trials, you should talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet or starting new supplements.

Study Details

Study typeMeta analysis
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedAug 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Objective To develop and evaluate an automated large language model (LLM)-based framework for conducting meta-analyses of nutrition-related exposures and the risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers. Design We developed MetaFemina, an automated evidence-synthesis pipeline for women's cancers that integrates keyword-based literature retrieval, LLM-assisted evidence extraction, and random-effects meta-analysis. We evaluated its performance against two recently published peer-reviewed meta-analyses and compared exposure-outcome associations across the three cancer types. Data sources PubMed articles identified through keyword-based searches of titles and abstracts. Methods MetaFemina was developed as a web platform that identifies relevant scientific articles, automatically extracts relevant information using LLMs, and synthesizes extracted evidence using random-effects meta-analysis. Additional analyses included assessment of heterogeneity, publication bias, and leave-one-out sensitivity analyses. The platform also provides sample size calculations based on synthesized effect sizes and generates visual summaries and plain-language interpretations. Results Compared with two recent peer-reviewed meta-analyses of folate and vitamin E intake in relation to breast cancer risk, MetaFemina demonstrated high sensitivity (81.82% and 80%, respectively) in identifying eligible studies and additionally retrieved relevant articles that had been missed by manual screening (27 and 13, respectively). Among 226 exposures considered, lutein and beta-carotene were significantly associated with lower risks of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers. Vitamin D, antioxidants, and soy were significantly associated with lower risks of both breast and ovarian cancers, whereas calcium and folic acid were significantly associated with lower risks of both breast and uterine cancers. In contrast, iron, red meat, and copper were significantly associated with higher risks of both breast and uterine cancers. omega-6 fatty acids showed contrasting associations, being significantly associated with higher breast cancer risk but lower ovarian cancer risk. After restriction to dietary-intake studies, these cross-cancer significant associations remained statistically significant except for copper, which no longer met the two-study threshold for either breast or uterine cancer. Additionally, calcium became significantly associated with lower ovarian cancer risk, resulting in significant negative associations across all three cancer types, while vitamin E became significantly associated with lower breast cancer risk and remained significantly associated with lower ovarian cancer risk. Conclusions MetaFemina demonstrated high sensitivity for identifying relevant scientific literature, extracts key evidence, and performs statistically rigorous automated meta-analyses. The framework may facilitate more rapid evidence synthesis in nutritional epidemiology and may support researchers in study design, hypothesis generation, and interpretation of emerging evidence.
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