Vitamin E Reduces Lung Cancer Risk
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Worldwide over 1.2 million new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed annually, according to the European School of Oncology. Lung cancer has one of the lowest survival rates with only one in four patients surviving more than a year after diagnosis. Among men, lung cancer incidence and mortality rates are decreasing in various countries such as the U.S. and Australia because of reductions in male smoking. On the other hand, in many parts of the world, lung cancer mortality rates, especially in women, continue to increase.
Vitamin E is an important micronutrient which serves as an antioxidant. Research shows that not only does vitamin E improve skin health, boost the immune system, protect against heart disease and ward off Alzheimer’s, it also has a role in protection against some types of cancer. Unlike some vitamins, which consist of a single compound, vitamin E consists of eight different compounds, four tocopherols and four tocotrienols (designated as alpha, beta, gamma and delta). Food contains all eight compounds, yet most supplements contain only alpha-tocopherol.
More recent research performed in the past few years has led to the conclusion that when it comes to the anti-carcinogenic and other benefits of vitamin E, all eight members of the vitamin E family are important. Each has different anti-carcinogenic and other functions and they act together in synergy. Only by taking the complete vitamin E can we get its full benefits. A recent study by researchers from the world-class M.D. Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas adds to the emerging and increasing research evidence of the benefits of the complete vitamin E. The study was published in the International Journal of Cancer.
This study by Mahabir and co-workers was the first of its kind in which the four different forms of tocopherols, taken together, were compared for their effectiveness in reducing lung cancer risk. The researchers examined the dietary intakes of patients with lung cancer and health controls in an ongoing study using a questionnaire. There was a very strong consistent and independent association between the intakes of alpha, beta and gamma-tocopherol and lung cancer risk. The researchers estimated that the risk of lung cancer was reduced by as much as 53% with higher intakes of the tocopherols. It is important to note that in other cancer studies such as with prostate cancer, supplementation with alpha-tocopherol alone at 400 IU per day did not reduce the risk. In contrast, studies similar to this, showed a strong association of gamma-tocopherol and lower risk of prostate cancer. This underscores the significance of taking the complete family of vitamin E. Taking alpha-tocopherol may actually be counterproductive because it has been shown conclusively that, by itself, alpha-tocopherol causes depletion of the other tocopherols and tocotrienols in the blood and the tissues. The role of tocotrienols was not examined in this study. Other research, however, indicates that tocotrienols are associated with lower risk of cancer especially of breast cancer.
The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: This study shows that full spectrum vitamin E may significantly reduce lung cancer risk and confirms what other studies have previously shown about vitamin E’s anti-cancer potential. The research that has involved supplemental vitamin E in its natural form (containing all eight members of the vitamin E family) has demonstrated its major benefits.
