Word: beta
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Dates: during 1990-1990
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...recent years, some of beta carotene'sproponents have heralded the chemical as a "wonderdrug," a biological police officer patrolling thebody and eliminating tumors and fatty buildupswherever they occur...
...their successes so far, leaders of the Physicians' Health Study are still coming up short on conclusive data about the mysterious vegetable extract beta carotene, composed of a backbone of carbon atoms flanked by two 6-atom carbon "rings...
...must tell you," says Charles Hennekens, who heads the study, "the beta carotene aspect was supposed to end in December 1990." Lacking sufficient data, however, Hennekens and his colleagues have applied to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for extended funding through 1996. Ninety-two percent of the physicians involvedas subjects in the study have agreed to continuetaking their pills, Hennekens says...
...particular, two compelling pieces ofscientific evidence point to beta carotene'santi-carcinogenic effect. For one, clinicalresearchers have shown that cancer victims have,in general, consumed less of the chemicalthroughout their lives: "You basically see thatthose individuals who have cancer report a dietlow in beta carotene," says Hennekens...
Promising though the chemical may look, Harvardscientists are not ready to claim victory yet.Researchers are quick to point out thatstatistical studies such as these only show that alow intake of beta carotene and a high risk ofcancer go together, but not necesarily that thechemical actually reduces risk...