Drop that pomegranate and listen up: we ingest antioxidants like they're going out of style, though it's really no big surprise considering all of the good press they receive. However it turns out antioxidants may not be as worthy of our adoration as once believed. The Derm Blog is busting the myth that antioxidant supplements can help ward of cancer. In fact, some evidence indicates it may actually increase your risk of developing the disease.

A study last year published in the Journal of Nutrition found that women who took a vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, and zinc supplement (thats one mega antioxidant pill) developed skin cancer at a rate of 1.3%.

In contrast, the women who were not taking the supplement developed skin cancer at a rate of only 0.7%; this was significantly less.

In particular, the study found that the rate of melanoma was 0.3% in women on the antioxidant pills and 0.08% in women not taking the pills. Again, significantly higher in the women taking antioxidants.

How can this possibly be?

It is plausible that cancer cells are at increased risk of damage from oxidative stress compared to your normal, healthy cells. In other words, taking antioxidants might ironically be protecting your cancer cells, allowing them to survive more than anything else.

It is likely that because cancer develops from long term damage to your cells, as in the case of skin and lung cancer, that trying to limit damage for a relatively short period of time by taking antioxidants like vitamin E or vitamin A probably has little or no effect. It is analogous to a car that is already rusted when you apply a protective sealant to it. The damage has already been done. Just as the sealant is protecting the already rusted car, the antioxidant is protecting the already cancerous cells.

Here are some recommendations that have stood the test of time and clinical study in preventing cancer:

- Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables every day (in contrast to supplements).
- Limit your intake of simple sugary carbohydrates such as white bread, chips, etc.
- Exercise every day and keep your weight down.
- Protect yourself from the sun with broad spectrum sunscreens and protective clothing.
- If you decide to take a daily supplement, the only vitamin that I recommend taking everyday is vitamin D. There is good evidence that vitamin D supplements can be protective against certain cancers. Taking 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day is the best way (much better than sun exposure) for elevating your vitamin D levels.

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