New research shows that vitamin C and E supplements and beta carotene don't prevent cancer in women, the Dec. 30 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported.

The results followed two other studies that also focused on the supplement forms of the vitamins, and which suggested as well that they weren’t able to prevent the development of the disease.

For the study, Jennifer Lin, PhD, of the division of preventive medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and colleagues analyzed more than 8,100 women who were administered one of the supplements, a mixture of the supplements or a placebo. The supplements were 500 milligrams of vitamin C, 50 milligrams of beta carotene and 600 IU (International Units) of vitamin E.

All participants were aged 40 or more and took part in the research for ten years, between 1995 and 2005. They either had heart disease, or were at risk of developing it. 624 were diagnosed with cancer and 176 died from it, researchers said. "Simply taking antioxidant supplements is insufficient to prevent cancer development," study author Lin concluded.

According to Lin, one reason that could justify the ineffectiveness of the supplements is that all participants in the study were well-nourished and that the vitamins could be more effective in patients whose diets don’t provide them enough nourishment.

Although this isn’t the first study to show the connection between Beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E supplements and preventing cancer, Lin says that “such findings need verification." Therefore, more research is needed to see “who may benefit from antioxidant supplements,” she added.