Can antioxidant foods pose a cancer risk?

It seems to me you are not interpreting the paragraph correctly. "...like many antioxidants, can be a "double-edged sword" where in the test tube, anti-cancer and antioxidant effects may be seen in addition to pro-oxidant effects. " This means that in vitro (it doesn't say if they mean on a particular substance used to measure oxidant properties or on a cell in culture), curcumin has: - anti-cancer properties (this makes me suspect they where using cells in culture).

- anti-oxidant properties - pro-oxidant effects It doesn't say they have seen pro-cancerous effects and there are many things with oxidant properties that are not per se cancerous. What do they mean by two edge sword? Well, most of the times, the effect depends on the dose and the effects can even be opposite.

Why are they seing pro-oxidant effects? This could mean that in the context of the cell, curcumin may be shifting a balance towards the reduction (opposed to oxidation) of some components in expense of the oxidation of other components of the cell. Remember they're working in vitro and we should be very careful before we translated this into the whole organism.

Scientists say that antioxidants have cancer-fighting properties. They stabilize free radicals produced from oxidation, which stress or injure cells in the body. The body loses its ability to neutralize the effects of oxidation on its own with age, and the supplementation of antioxidants in the diet can aid the body in the neutralization process.

However, different populations can experience different results. The main case in point is research indicating that there is a possibility that B-carotene can increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers. In summary, researchers have not come to a unanimous decision.

The American Cancer Society says that recommendations are tricky to make until a more concrete conclusion has been made. They do say that eating a healthy diet (which contains natural antioxidants) does contribute to lowered cancer risk.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.