General Cancer
Breast Cancer
Lung Cancer
Prostate Cancer
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Vitamin E destroys free radicals and prevents nitrates & nitrites from converting to nitrosamine (carcinogen). Besides, vitamin E is also thought to have immunomodulatory, neuroprotective and anti-viral actions. Deficiency may increase risk of certain degenerative disorders, such as coronary heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. Rich sources are unrefined vegetable oil and cereal grains, sunflower oil and seeds, fruits (avocado), nuts (almonds, pine nuts, walnuts), and vegetables (asparagus, spinach). Recommended daily allowance is 15 milligrams/day. (For more detailed information, please visit ISM’s searchable database: Nutraceutical Search.)
Research examined the link between baseline serum alpha-tocopherol (Vit E) concentrations and death from certain causes and death from all causes, based on 29,092 Finnish male smokers. Total mortality for cancer and cardiovascular disease was reduced by 21 and 19 per cent. The study suggests that higher serum concentrations of alpha-tocopherol (up to 13 to 14 milligrams per litre, which is within the normal range) are associated with moderately lower total and cause-specific mortality in older male smokers. [Margaret E. Wright et al.. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2006, Volume 84, Number. 5, pages 1200-1207.
Patients undergoing chemo, radiation & bone marrow transplants have markedly depressed levels of Vit E. [Clemens, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. (1990) vol 51, p 216.]
Synergism with Selenium: (n=12,000). There was a reduction in cancer risk of 90% by taking Vit E & Se. [Salonen, British Medical Journal (1985) 290: 417-20.]
Vit E dramatically improves tumour kill from pro-oxidative chemo & radiation, while protecting host tissue from damage. 31% of Vit E group developed neurotoxicity. 86% of placebo group had neurotoxicity. [Pace, Journal of Clinical Oncology, (2003) vol 21, no.5, p.927.]
Getting more vitamin E in the diet appears to significantly decrease oxidative damage that is occurring in the body. [Review of Nutr Cancer. 2005; 51(2):146-54.]
Vit E supplements for 3 months reversed fibrocystic breast disease in 22 out of 26 women. [J. Amer Med Assoc (1980) Vol 244, p 1077.]
Women (n=5,000) with Vit E levels in lowest quintile had 5 times X higher risk of breast cancer. [Block, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1991) 53:270s-282s.]
Increasing intakes of vitamin E may decrease the risk of lung cancer by over 50 per cent. o Mahabir, S et al. Dietary alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocopherols in lung cancer risk. [Int J Cancer, 123, 1173-80.]
Vitamin E supplementation in male smokers associated with reduced cancer incidence. [J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Feb 15; 98(4): 245-54.]
Preclinical, epidemiological, and phase III data from randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials suggest that both selenium and vitamin E have potential efficacy in prostate cancer prevention. [Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Dec; 1031: 234-41.]
Several trials of high-dosage vitamin E supplementation showed non–statistically significant increases in total mortality. A meta-analysis of the dose–response relationship between vitamin E supplementation and total mortality by using data from randomized, controlled trials (was performed of) 135,967 participants in 19 clinical trials. PubMed search from 1966 through August 2004, complemented by a search of the Cochrane Clinical Trials Database and review of citations of published reviews and meta-analyses (was carried out). No language restrictions were applied. Precise estimation of the threshold at which risk increases is difficult……High-dosage (more than 400 IU/d) vitamin E supplements may increase all-cause mortality and should be avoided. [Miller, ER et al (2005). Meta-Analysis: High-Dosage Vitamin E Supplementation May Increase All-Cause Mortality. Annals of Internal Medicine, 142(1), 37-46.]