12 May, 2009
Vitamin E in Supplements May Lower Lung Cancer Risk By Over 50%
Posted by: Naturally In: Supplements and Herbs
Related topics: Research, Antioxidants, carotenoids, Vitamins & premixes, Cancer risk reduction
A new study from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center finds that vitamin E may decrease the risk of lung cancer by 50 percent or more. The study is published in the International Journal of Cancer.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to compare dietary intakes of the different forms of tocopherols (alpha-, beta-, gamma and delta-tocopherol) and lung cancer risk,” wrote lead author Somdat Mahabir in the International Journal of Cancer. “Our large lung cancer case-control study adds meaningful data on alpha-, gamma-, beta- and delta-tocopherol to the literature,”
For the study researchers are studing 1,088 patients with lung cancer and 1,414 healthy people as control subjects. The researchers calculated that the highest average intakes of alpha-tocopherol (more than 7.73 mg per day) were associated with a 53 per cent reduction in lung cancer risk, compared to the lowest average intakes (less than 4.13 mg per day).
There are actually eight forms of vitamin E: four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta). Alpha-tocopherol is the main source found in supplements and in the European diet, while gamma-tocopherol is the most common form in the American diet.
Considering all the tocopherols together, the highest average intake, over 12.95 mg per day, was associated with a 55 per cent reduction in the risk of lung cancer, when compared to the lowest average intakes, under 6.68 mg per day, said the researchers.
When the researchers accounted for the other tocopherols they observed no significant associations on lung cancer risk for beta-, gamma, and delta-tocopherol.
“We found consistent independent associations for increased dietary alpha-tocopherol intake and risk reduction but did not find independent associations for gamma-, beta- and delta-tocopherol in lung cancer risk,” wrote lead resarcher Mahabir.
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