ABSTRACT
Fruits and vegetables have an important role in the prevention of cancer.
Carotenoids have been implicated as an important group of phytochemicals that
are involved in cancer prevention. However, when reviewing data related to the
chemopreventive effects of phytochemicals, one should bear in mind that the use
of a single carotenoid or any other micronutrient as a “magic bullet,” which had
been successful in in vitro and in vivo models, did not prove as favorable in
human intervention studies. In contrast, accumulating evidence suggests that a
concerted, synergistic action of various micronutrients is more likely to be the
basis of the cancer-preventive activity of a diet rich in vegetables and fruit.
