Vitamin E -- An Easy way to Reduce Cancer Risk
April 1, 2004
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- For those who want to lower their risk of cancer, the answer may be as simple as getting enough vitamin E.
Two studies presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., show patients who consume vitamin E may have a lower risk of developing prostate and bladder cancer.
The first study conducted by researchers from the National Cancer Institute and elsewhere included 100 men with prostate cancer and 200 men without prostate cancer.
Researchers found men who consumed the form of vitamin E known as alpha-tocopherol had about a 50-percent lower risk of prostate cancer. Those who consumed the form of vitamin E known as gamma-tocopherol had nearly a 40-percent lower risk of developing the cancer. Researchers say men who had the highest vitamin E levels had the lowest risk.
Gamma-tocopherol is the type of vitamin E that people in the United States consume in greater amounts. Many vegetables, nuts, fruits and oils contain both types of the vitamin.
The second study, conducted by researchers from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Woman’s University, included 468 newly diagnosed bladder cancer patients and 534 cancer-free patients.
Researchers found patients who consumed higher intakes of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E had a significantly lower risk of bladder cancer. There was no association between gamma-tocopherol vitamin E and a lower risk of bladder cancer.
High intake of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E from dietary sources was associated with a 42-percent reduced risk of bladder cancer, whereas a high intake of vitamin E from diet and supplements combined reduced the risk by 44 percent.
Foods richest in alpha-tocopherol vitamin E include almonds, red and green peppers, spinach, mustard greens, sunflower seeds, and vegetable oils.
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SOURCE: Annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Orlando, Fla., March 27-31