Antioxidants Found to Stimulate Cancerous Tumor Growth

TikTok has seen a substantial rise in videos promoting various types of wellness supplements that claim to increase the amount of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in your body. However, the benefits of these supplements are questionable; they aren’t typically approved by the FDA. USA Today’s investigation found that one of the main concerns of doctors is that people are at risk for consuming too high of a dose of these vitamins and minerals.   

Consuming antioxidants through your diet is completely safe and highly recommended, but overconsumption of antioxidants, for example through dietary supplements, can lead to negative side effects. A recent study led by Professor Martin Bergo in the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition at the Karolinska Institute, found that an excess amount of antioxidants can accelerate tumor growth and the spreading of lung cancer. The study looked at a general excess of antioxidants, not specifically through dietary supplements, but Professor Bergo did acknowledge that supplements are a common source for people to overindulge in antioxidants.

“A recent study led by Professor Martin Bergo, found that an excess amount of antioxidants can accelerate tumor growth and the spread of lung cancer.

An antioxidant is a nutrient found in vegetables, fruits, grains, and even chocolate! They work by neutralizing free radicals which are normally naturally produced by our bodies daily metabolism functions- like breaking down food. But unnatural free radicals come from tobacco, air pollution, and even X-rays; no matter how they are produced, natural or not, they “attack important macromolecules leading to cell damage” and disruptions in our internal stability that can potentially lead to heart conditions and cancers. 

It should be noted that consuming an excessively high dose of antioxidants won’t cause cancer by itself, however, for those at a high risk of cancer — especially lung cancer — the antioxidants can stimulate the growth of tumors and metastasis..

Professor Bergo and her team conducted their work on lung cancer using mice organoids, which are engineered tissue based cell models. The lung cancer induced in the mice was derived from humans. The study found that a protein called BACH1 is activated when there is a drop in the level of free oxygen radicals, which is induced when extra antioxidants are introduced. This activation of BACH1 stimulates angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels in lung cancer tumors, which allows cancer tumors to consume more nutrients, oxygen, and remove waste, all of which allow the cancer tumors to grow at the expense of nearby healthy cells.  

It was previously thought that hypoxia, or low levels of oxygen, was required for angiogenesis to occur in cancer tumors. However, the researchers demonstrated that this isn’t the case and new blood vessels can form in the presence of normal levels of oxygen. BACH1 functions similarly to the protein HIF-1a, which allows cells to adapt to changing levels of oxygen. They believe that HIF-1a and BACH1 work together in the stimulation of lung cancer tumors. 

Future research would include expanding to other types of cancer, like breast or  kidney cancer, to understand  how free radicals regulate the BACH1 protein. Professor Bergo hopes that this study can lead to some new potential lung cancer therapies, such as anti-angiogenesis drugs, for patients with elevated levels of BACH1.  

Too much of anything isn’t healthy, and the same goes for antioxidants. Dietary supplements should be taken with caution, and under the guidance of healthcare professionals. As registered dietitian Samantha Cassetty from the USA Today article mentions, “most people are better off eating their vegetables than taking a greens powder.”