Results Characteristics of cases and controls are described in Table 1. Controls were younger than cases. Mean body mass index and total daily caloric intake were similar for cases and controls: 25.5 kg/m 2 and 2,001.3 kcal/day for cases, 25.9 kg/m 2 and 1,857.6 kcal/day for community controls, and 24.4 kg/m 2 and 1,905.8 kcal/day for convenience controls, respectively, although cases had a modestly higher daily caloric intake. Table 2 shows the distribution of supplement use among cases and controls. The proportion who used multivitamins and each vitamin and mineral supplement was similar among cases and controls. In the total control population, 60% reported use of any multivitamin and/or individual vitamin and mineral supplements compared with 55% of cases. The most commonly used individual supplements were vitamins C and E: each was used by approximately one-third of cases and controls. Cases and controls who used an individual vitamin or mineral supplement were more likely to use a multivitamin supplement (data not shown) as well. Table 3 displays the mean consumption of each antioxidant from supplements among users and micronutrient levels from foods in milligrams or international units per day for cases and controls. Although cases and controls were similar in the proportion that used any supplements, community controls consumed higher doses of vitamins A, C, and E and selenium from supplements than did the cases or the convenience controls. Cases and controls were similar to each other with respect to consumption of antioxidants from foods. Women whose food contained more antioxidants tended to use more supplements, although the association was not especially strong. Among the controls, there was a slight positive correlation between total antioxidants from foods and from supplements (r = 0.15, P = 0.02). The mean intake of antioxidants from foods was similar among supplement users and nonusers: 175.6 and 167.4 mg/day, respectively. Table 4 shows relative risk estimates and 95% CIs associated with each antioxidant from supplements. High consumption of vitamins C and E was associated with a reduced risk. The unadjusted OR, using only community controls, for > 90 mg/day of vitamin C from supplements was 0.53 (95% CI = 0.33-0.86) and for > 30 mg/day of vitamin E was 0.59 (95% CI = 0.38-0.94). In multivariate analyses, the associations were stronger. In a comparison of cases with community controls, there was a 60% reduced risk of ovarian cancer among women who used > 90 mg/day of vitamin C from supplements compared with nonusers. For vitamin E, there was a 67% reduced risk of ovarian cancer for those who used > 30 mg/day. No monotonic relationships for vitamins C and E were observed; only the highest categories of intake were associated with a reduced risk. Intake of vitamin A, beta-carotene, and selenium from supplements was not related to risk. Similar results were observed in multivariate analyses using the total control population (community + convenience controls), with attenuation toward the null value, since the convenience controls' antioxidant consumption was more similar to that of cases. We observed a strong reduced risk for combined use of vitamins C and E from multivitamins and individual supplements. Of the 101 controls that used vitamin C or E, 60 (59%) used vitamins C and E together. The relative risk estimate for individuals who consumed 150-1,000 mg/day of vitamins C and E was 0.37 (95% CI = 0.17-0.79) using community controls. The relative risk estimate was 0.29 (95% CI = 0.14-0.61) for women in the highest category of vitamin C and E consumption ( > 1,000 mg/day) using community controls compared with those who consumed < 150 mg/day (data not shown). These results including both control groups were 0.50 (95% CI = 0.25-0.99) and 0.36 (95% CI = 0.18-0.69), respectively.Table 5 shows results from analyses of antioxidant consumption from foods. Vitamins A, C, and E, beta-carotene, and lycopene demonstrated no relationship with risk for the highest one-third of consumption compared with the lowest. There was a suggestion of an increased risk associated with the highest one-third of vitamin E intake, whereas results of high vitamin A intake suggest protection. We combined antioxidant intake from diet and supplements to yield total daily intake of antioxidant micronutrients. Table 6 shows relative risk estimates and 95% CIs for each micronutrient from diet and supplements. Again, vitamins C and E from diet and supplements showed evidence for a protective effect: the relative risk estimates for the highest categories suggest an ~55% reduced risk. There was no relationship between total vitamin A and beta-carotene from supplements and diet and lycopene from food sources only and risk of ovarian cancer. Results with the combined control groups were similar, with slight attenuation toward the null. We found no significant interactions between antioxidants and smoking. However, smoking (ever/never) did appear to modify the effects of vitamin C intake from supplements, but not the effects of vitamin A or E or beta-carotene from supplements. The adjusted relative risk estimate for high vitamin C intake from supplements among nonsmokers was 0.32 (95% CI = 0.13-0.79) compared with 0.81 (95% CI = 0.36-1.82) among smokers. Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.