Scientists based mostly on the Karolinska Institutet, a research-led medical college at Solna, Sweden, are involved about vitamin and mineral supplementation.

Common antioxidants, reminiscent of vitamin C, are thought-about secure when eaten from meals, however further supplementation is now linked to the formation of latest blood vessels in tumours.

A professor on the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Martin Bergö, defined what his workforce found.

Professor Bergö said: "We’ve found that antioxidants activate a mechanism that causes cancer tumours to form new blood vessels, which is surprising since it was previously thought that antioxidants have a protective effect.

"The new blood vessels nourish the tumours and can help them grow and spread."

Professor Bergö added: "There’s no need to fear antioxidants in normal food but most people don’t need additional amounts of them.

"In fact, it can be harmful for cancer sufferers and other people with an elevated most cancers threat."

The workforce discovered that antioxidants scale back the degrees of free oxygen radicals, however when further quantities are launched the drop in free radicals prompts a protein referred to as BACH1.

This then induces the formation of latest blood vessels, often known as angiogenesis.

Vitamin A, C, selenium and zinc have been all discovered to stimulate the formation of latest blood vessels in lung most cancers tumours.

The scientists consider these findings may apply to all cancers and will contribute to the unfold of cancers.

Ting Wang, a doctoral pupil in Professor Bergö’s workforce, stated: "Our study opens the door to more effective ways of preventing angiogenesis in tumours.

"For instance, sufferers whose tumours exhibit excessive ranges of BACH1 may profit extra from anti-angiogenesis remedy than sufferers with low BACH1 ranges."

Looking at lung, breast, and kidney tumours, the researchers found that when BACH1 was activated – either through ingested antioxidants or overexpression of the gene – more blood vessels were produced.

Yet, those blood vessels produced were highly sensitive to angiogenesis inhibitors.

Ms Wang added: "The subsequent step is to look at intimately how ranges of oxygen and free radicals can regulate the BACH1 protein, and we'll proceed to find out the medical relevance of our outcomes.

"We’ll also be doing similar studies in other cancer forms such as breast, kidney and skin cancer."

The research was printed within the Journal of Clinical Investigation.