Posted on 03/01/2008 2:40:50 PM PST by blam
Vitamin E linked to lung cancer
High vitamin E doses were found to increase risk
Taking high doses of vitamin E supplements can increase the risk of lung cancer, research suggests. The US study of 77,000 people found taking 400 milligrams per day long-term increased cancer risk by 28% - with smokers at particular risk.
It follows warnings about similar risks of excessive beta-carotene use.
Writing in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, an expert said people should get their vitamins from fruit and veg.
Dr Tim Byers, from the University of Colorado, said a healthy, balanced diet meant people took in a whole range of beneficial nutrients and minerals, which might help to reduce cancer risk.
The researchers followed people aged between 50 and 76 for four years and looked at their average daily use of vitamin C and folic acid, and vitamin E supplements.
Over the course of the study, 521 people developed lung cancer.
Smoking, family history and age all had unsurprisingly strong links to cancer risk.
And while neither vitamin C or folic acid use had any effect on lung cancer risk, vitamin E use did.
The researchers extrapolated their findings, and concluded that over a decade, there was an additional 7% increase in risk for every 100 milligrams taken per day.
The vitamin E trend was most prominent among smokers, but was not confined to them.
Vitamin E is known to be an antioxidant - protecting cells from molecules called free radicals.
But the US researchers speculate that, in high doses, it may also act as a pro-oxidant - causing oxidation and therefore damage to cells.
'Toxic effects'
Dr Christopher Slatore of the University of Washington in Seattle, who led the study, said: "In contrast to the often assumed benefits or at least lack of harm, supplemental vitamin E was associated with a small increased risk of lung cancer.
"Future studies may focus on other components of fruits and vegetables that may explain the decreased risk of cancer that has been associated with fruit and vegetables.
"Meanwhile, our results should prompt clinicians to counsel patients that these supplements are unlikely to reduce the risk of lung cancer and may be detrimental."
But Henry Scowcroft, senior science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "The jury's still very much out on whether vitamin and mineral supplements can affect cancer risk.
"Some studies suggest a benefit, but many others show no effect and some, like this one, suggest they may even increase risk."
He added: "Research repeatedly shows that a healthy, balanced diet can reduce your risk of some cancers while giving you all the vitamins you need.
"Quitting smoking remains the most effective way to avoid many cancers. There's no diet, or vitamin supplement, that could ever counter the toxic effects of cigarette smoke."
In 2002 a Finnish study of 29,000 male smokers found taking beta-carotene - which is converted into vitamin A in the body - was linked to an 18% increased risk of developing lung cancer
Cheaper but less fun than smokes.
Made in China ingredients?
(Beta Carotene Supplements Harmful to Ex-Smokers)
This is a really serious issue, especially since there are so many people & companies that tout the "benefits" of anti-oxidant supplements. Every now & then I come across someone touting their vitamins & antioxidants from some company, usually an MLM, and they are completely ignorant of the danger to ex-smokers of anti-oxidant supplements. One of the worse is a Nu-Skin spin-off company that uses a Raman-Laser type device to detect the beta-carotene levels in the victim's (i.e, the potential customer) skin. Not surprisingly, most people come up short in this area (unless your skin is orange from eating to much carrot juice!) and "need" the companies products. I wonder how many customers have been sent to an early death by this company.
I tell every ex-smoker I come across to avoid taking these supplements, especially the beta-carotene ones. Interestingly, it seems to be OK to get anti-oxidants from traditional sources, but then that means eating greens & colored vegetables!
Thanks. I quit smoking six months ago today.
I tried to start several times but cant seem to fine the time money or energy to stick to it....
Maybe it’s just me or somebody else has noticed, but for the past several months a whole lot of articles have come out that supposedly debunk the benefits of many of the OTC products that we commonly buy.
If we go back to the virtual ban on pseudoeprinephine brought about about the “meth” epidemic we go forward to the more often bans or cautions on most of the feel-good stuff like energy enhancers through children’s cold medicines, expanded recently to cover the 7-16 age group, onto the performance enhancers, now the particular vitamin supplements themselves.
A skeptic might think that either this is being done to line the pockets of doctors and drug companies or some ground-breaking science is going on.
There are DIFFERENT KINDS of Vitamin E....this is, I believe, only alpha E.....what this doesn’t say is that the delta, gamma, and tocotriels (sp) are very good for you....and I believe that means EVEN if you smoke.
Lung cancer is an old peoples cancer.
Less than 10 % of lung cancer is found in people under 50.
So they immediately followed a higher risk group. And they followed for 4 years so each year the risk increases.
521 lung cancers out of 77,000...that’s less than 7%
and the “risk” is increased 28 % ? How meaningful is that ?
Congratualtions!!!!!! I hear quitting smoking is the hardest habit to break.....good for you!!!!!!!
After mom died last year of pancreatic cancer, I make sure and take my Vitamin D daily.
This link is very interesting. Y’all got me thinking (rather dangerous sometimes) about my consumption of Vitamin E which was suggested by my doctor.
I quit smoking about 20 years ago....smartest thing I ever did. One thing that helped me a lot was taking a deep breath when I thought I would die if I didn’t get a cigarette. You can do it!
Thousands of years ago....the GREEKS knew.
EVERYTHING IN MODERATION
>>Taking high doses of vitamin E supplements can increase the risk of lung cancer, research suggests. The US study of 77,000 people found taking 400 milligrams per day long-term increased cancer risk by 28% - with smokers at particular risk.<<
So if you eat 30 times as much of something as you are supposed to, something bad may happen. Shocking.
I only smoke 300mg of E, so I should be ok.
This particular study reeks of agenda and seems really short on basic scientific method. First, a 4 year study of a cancer that takes decades to develop is laughable. Second, the participants all self-reported their intake and were free to use whatever supplement they wanted. No standardization. An analysis of the Vitamin E purchased at the Dollar Store might turn up actual carcinogens and no E.
And third, the 28% "increase in risk" they report is not something they actually obeserved; they extrapolated the figure over a 10 year period--2 1/2 times longer than the actual study that took place. The study does not appear to distinguish among those who took E for decades or just for the period of the study. If E were indeed a causative or exacerbating factor, those on E the longest would show clear patterns of earlier and more aggressive cancers. But no, no effort was made to track any of that. It may be that that those who took E for the longest period of time were protected, and only the newest users made it into the cancer group, skewing the results.
And let's look at this supposed 28% increase in risk among those who took vitamin E. Even if we accept the sloppy methodology because--oh let's pretend we're stupid or drunk--it sounds like a huge number...til you realize this report is worded to obfuscate the fact that their findings are actually statistically insignificant.Bottom line, only 521 people out of 77,000 were diagnosed with lung cancer at all in this study. That's seven-tenths of 1%. So we're supposed to get excited about 28% of seven-tenths of 1%? The only thing worth getting excited about is the deceptive, manipulative nature of this report and the grant or tax dollars wasted.
Actually, it’s even less meaningful than you suggest. Only seven-tenths of 1%.
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