Which antioxidant works best for prostate cancer prevention? Original paper
This network meta-analysis reported that supplementation with green tea catechins shows promise for reducing the risk of prostate cancer, although more research is needed.
This Study Summary was published on July 17, 2023.
Quick Summary
This network meta-analysis reported that supplementation with green tea catechins shows promise for reducing the risk of prostate cancer, although more research is needed.
What was studied?
The comparative effectiveness of different antioxidants/antioxidant combinations for reducing the risk of prostate cancer.
Who was studied?
A total of 73,365 men.
How was it studied?
A network meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials was performed. Seven trials were conducted in the United States, 3 in Europe, and 1 in Canada. The remaining 3 trials were international multicenter trials. The antioxidants/antioxidant combinations studied were green tea catechins (GTCs; 2 trials), selenium (4 trials), vitamin D (1 trial), vitamin E (1 trial), folic acid (1 trial), vitamin B6 (1 trial), beta-carotene (1 trial), folic acid + vitamin B12 (1 trial), folic acid + vitamin B12 + vitamin B6 (1 trial), selenium + vitamin E (1 trial), selenium + vitamin E + soy protein (1 trial), and selenium + lycopene + GTCs (1 trial).
The Surface Under the Cumulative Ranking (SUCRA) curve was used to rank the interventions in terms of relative effectiveness. SUCRA values range from 0% to 100%. The higher the SUCRA value above 50%, the higher the likelihood that a treatment is effective compared to a placebo.[1]
What were the results?
Supplementation with GTCs, vitamin D, vitamin B6, and beta-carotene showed promise for reducing the risk of prostate cancer. GTCs had the highest SUCRA value (88.6%), followed by vitamin D (55.1%), vitamin B6 (54.1%), and beta-carotene (51.7%). None of the supplements reduced the risk of prostate cancer to a statistically significant degree compared to placebo.
The risk of bias was low in 1 trial, high in 1 trial, and unclear in 12 trials.
Anything else I need to know?
Network meta-analyses benefit from large numbers of studies. However, most antioxidants/antioxidant combinations were investigated in just 1 trial each. This reduces our confidence in the findings.
For more information on the study design used, see our glossary on network meta-analysis.
This Study Summary was published on July 17, 2023.
References
- ^Mbuagbaw L, Rochwerg B, Jaeschke R, Heels-Andsell D, Alhazzani W, Thabane L, Guyatt GHApproaches to interpreting and choosing the best treatments in network meta-analysesSyst Rev.(2017 Apr 12)