The potential benefits of vitamin E for prostate cancer prevention have generated a great deal of interest for a number of years.
At first, vitamin E was thought to be a potentially beneficial nutrient in terms of lowering the risk of prostate cancer or of slowing its growth. However, today we know that vitamin E probably won't help.
Early Studies on Vitamin E and Prostate Cancer
Not that long ago, vitamin E was thought to provide some protection against the development of prostate cancer or to work to slow its progression. Several observational studies had seemingly showed that a higher intake of vitamin E was associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer, and several other studies had shown that vitamin E might work to inhibit many of the functions of cancerous prostate cells.
Many major news organizations picked up on these stories, and soon much of the world thought of vitamin E as a potentially very beneficial supplement for prostate cancer prevention. As a result, prominent researchers pushed for a large, well-organized study of the true benefits of vitamin E for prostate cancer prevention.
Vitamin E, Prostate Cancer and the SELECT Trial
The SELECT (the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial) trial was the first large, well-organized, comprehensively controlled study that sought to evaluate the benefits of both selenium and vitamin E for prostate cancer prevention. The study was monitored and organized by several well-respected researchers and research groups.
The SELECT trial enrolled more than 35,000 men who were randomly assigned to one of four groups over the course of several years. One group took one selenium and one vitamin E tablet daily. One group took one selenium and one placebo tablet daily. One group took one vitamin E and one placebo tablet daily. One group took two placebo tablets daily.
The SELECT trial overall showed no benefit in terms of prostate cancer risk reduction from taking selenium or vitamin E supplements.
Vitamin E and Prostate Cancer Today
In large part due to the results of the SELECT trial, men today are generally no longer encouraged to take selenium and vitamin E supplements as a means of lowering their prostate cancer risk.
Source:
Lippman SM, et al. Effect of Selenium and Vitamin E on Risk of Prostate Cancer and Other Cancers: The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). JAMA. 2009;301(1):39-51
