> > Just the opposite, they die sooner than expected.
>
> actually I think it was a typo on doug's part because the conclusions in
> the abstract show that it decreases incidence of prostate cancer.
A small positive effect overridden by larger negative effects. On the whole, taking beta carotene supplements will tend to shorten your life, especially if you're a smoker. Eating foods rich in carotenes is a different story; studies have shown generally positive results. Practical upshot: if you are taking beta carotene supplements not specifically prescribed for some condition, you should quit, especially if you smoke since they promote lung cancer. But don't worry about the carrot cake.
-- Lee Daniel Crocker <lee@piclab.com> <http://www.piclab.com/lcrocker.html> "All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past, are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC