Alpha-tocopherol protects against prostate cancer in smokers

By David Liu, pHD

Sunday July 15, ?2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Taking a dietary supplement of alpha-tocopherol - a type of vitamin E, may help protect against prostate cancer in smokers or those who have recently quit smoking, according to a new study published in July 2012 in the journal PLoS One.

The study led by S. J. Weinstein of Department of Health and Human Servies, Bethesda, Maryland and colleagues showed men who had serum alpha-tocopherol in the highest quintile were at a 37 percent reduced risk for prostate cancer, compared to those who had their levels in the lowest quintile. This inverse association was only found among smokers or those who had recently quit smoking. This association was stronger for aggressive cancers.

On the other hand, men who had highest levels of serum gamma-tocopherol were 35 percent more likely than those who had lowest levels to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. ?This association was stronger for less aggressive cancers.

The researchers reported vitamin E compounds exhibit protective effects against prostate cancer experimentally although serologic investigation of tocopherols and randomized controlled trials of vitamin E supplementation are inconsistent. ?At least prior research has shown vitamin D is protective against prostate cancer, particularly aggressive prostate cancer among smokers.

The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial involved 680 prostate cancer cases and 824 controls.

The researchers concluded that "higher ?-tocopherol status is associated with decreased risk of developing prostate cancer, particularly among smokers. Although two recent controlled trials did not substantiate an earlier finding of lower prostate cancer incidence and mortality in response to supplementation with a relatively low dose of ?-tocopherol, higher ?-tocopherol status may be beneficial with respect to prostate cancer risk among smokers."

Both alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol are vitamin E compounds. ? "Alpha-Tocopherol is the main source found in supplements and in the European diet, where the main dietary sources are olive and sunflower oils, while gamma-tocopherol is the most common form in the American diet due to a higher intake of soybean and corn oil," wikipedia states.

Source: http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Vitamins/alpha-tocopherol_prostate_cancer_0715121053.html

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