Vitamin E May Prevent Lung Cancer

HOUSTON—Researchers at the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center found taking more vitamin E substantially reduces lung cancer (Int J Cancer.2008;123(5)1173-80). The new study shows people consuming the highest amounts of vitamin E had the greatest benefit.
In an ongoing study of 1,088 incident lung cancer cases and 1,414 healthy matched controls, researchers studied the associations between four tocopherols (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocopherol) in the diet and lung cancer risk. There were no significant association between delta-tocopherol intake and lung cancer risk detected. When the four tocopherols were summed as total tocopherol intake, a monotonic risk reduction was also observed. Only the association with dietary alpha-tocopherol intake remained significant, i.e., increasing intake of dietary alpha-tocopherol accounted for 34- to 53-percent reductions in lung cancer risk.