Vitamin E Boosts Risk of Prostate Cancer a Bit

A new study of 35,000 men suggests that men might want to cut back on vitamin E pills. That’s because the SELECT trial showed that men getting 400 IU of vitamin E daily had a 17 percent increased risk of prostate cancer diagnosis. SELECT stands for Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial.
The men were healthy at the beginning of the study and were followed for at least 7 and up to 12 years. The investigators point out that many older Americans take vitamin supplements containing as much as 400 IUs of vitamin E a day, even though the recommended daily dietary allowance for men is only about 22 IUs.
The fact that additional vitamin E turned out to be harmful rather than helpful for this condition suggests that men should be rather cautious when they decide to take such supplements. The absolute risk is still low, though. The scientists attribute fewer than 2 extra cases of prostate cancer in 100 men in 10 years to supplemental vitamin E.

[JAMA, Oct. 12, 2011]