Vitamin E Significant Risk for Prostate Cancer

The long held belief of vitamin E and selenium to reduce the risk of prostate cancer now demonstrates that theory has been wrong.

In 2001, Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial had begun with researchers testing the long standing belief of these supplements preventing disease or help treat it.

Findings from the study on lung and skin cancers had advocated that either supplement just may decrease the risk for prostate cancer.

The study had consisted of 35,000 healthy males, fifty years or older at 400 locations in the United States and Puerto Rico. This $122 million dollar trial had came to a halt in 2008 when the study failed to demonstrate the 25% reduction in cancer risk as it was designed to show.

Dr. Eric Klein, Chairman of the Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute and a staff member in the Taussig Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic, had remarked that researchers at the closing of the study did observe that those men taking vitamin E alone were developing a higher risk toward prostate cancer.

Now reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the findings show that men who took 400 international units of vitamin E each day had received no benefit from the vitamin and showed a 17% increased risk for prostate cancer. According to Dr. Howard Parnes, Chief of Prostate and Urologic Cancer at the National Cancer Institute, that this increased risk for prostate cancer by taking vitamin E alone is significant.

Upon halting the study, researchers had followed post-study participants for 18 months.

Dr. Klein, contributor to the article had noted researchers found that vitamin E can have an affect even when men had stopped taking the supplement.

In closing Dr, Klein remarks there is just no reason for men vitamin E if your 55 years old or older.

What will cut the risk for prostate cancer? Try that morning cup of coffee. In May of this year it was reported by Harvard School of Public Health, that men who consume coffee on a regular basis have a more of a decreased chance for developing a more aggressive form of prostate cancer.

Other ways to decrease your risk include:

Have a low fat diet. Choose leaner cuts of milk and low fat or reduced fat dairy products.

Choose your fat from plants not animals such as cooking in olive oil instead of butter.

Consume fatty fish like tuna and salmon which are loaded with omega 3's and have been associated to a decreased risk for prostate cancer.

Decrease dairy products. A study has shown that men who consume most dairy products like cheese and milk every day have a higher risk for prostate cancer. Results of this have been mixed and the risk is determined to be small.

Green tea or green tea supplements have been demonstrated to cut the risk of prostate cancer.

Studies have demonstrated that exercise does reduce risk.

sources:

Voa News

Mayo Clinic

Examiner Detroit Alternative Health