Monday Nov 17, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Taking vitamin E and vitamin C may not provide any
protective effect against prostate cancer, according to a new study scheduled
to be presented Sunday at an American Academy of Cancer Research (AACR) meeting
in Washington, D.C.
The Physicians' Health Study II, a randomized clinical
trial, involved 14, 641 physicians age at least 50 at enrollment.
Participants were given 400 IU of vitamin E
or 500 mg of vitamin C or a placebo each day for up to 10 years.
There was no association between vitamin E and risk of
prostate cancer, which afflicts about 200,000 men in the United States each
year.
Vitamin C was not effective either
against total cancer.
But not all studies are so disappointing. Early studies
have shown that I.V. injection of high doses of vitamin C actually kills cancer
cells while leaving healthy ones intact.
And many studies linked intake of vitamin C and vitamin E rich diet with
lower incidence of cancer.
One study published in the Sep 2008 issue of Breast
Cancer Research and Treatment suggests that vitamin E and B supplement may
actually provide protection against breast cancer among women who had low
dietary intake of these vitamins.
The case-control study led by Dorjgochoo T and colleagues
from School of Medicine of Vanderbilt University involved 3,454 incident breast
cancer cases and 3,474 controls entering the study in Shanghai.
Those who enrolled for the phase I study were at
the age of 25 to 64 while those for the phase II study were at the age of 20 to
70.
Overall, there was no association between intake of
vitamins A, B, C and E and breast cancer, the researchers reported.
Nevertheless, among those who had low dietary intake of
vitamin E, taking vitamin E supplements was associated with a 20 percent
reduction in the risk.
Similarly, taking vitamin B supplements was also linked
to a 20 percent reduction in the risk of breast cancer among those who had low
dietary intake of vitamin B, but the reduction was not statically significant.
However, frequency use of a vitamin B supplement seemed
to boost the risk by 40 percent among women who have high dietary intake of
vitamin B.
The protective effect of vitamin E and C and others against
cancer including prostate cancer is a complicated issue.
More research is certainly needed to prove or
disprove previous findings.
Disclaimer: What's published on this website should be considered opinions of respective writers only and foodconsumer.org which has no political agenda nor commercial ambition may or may not endorse any opinion of any writer. No accuracy is guaranteed although writers are doing their best to provide accurate information only.
The information on this website should not be construed as medical advice and should not be used to replace professional services provided by qualified or licensed health care workers. The site serves only as a platform for writers and readers to share knowledge, experience, and information from the scientific community, organizations, government agencies and individuals.
Foodconsumer.org encourages readers who have had medical conditions to consult with licensed health care providers - conventional and or alternative medical practitioners.
