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Monday, March 29, 2004'We found that the men who had higher serum (blood) levels of vitamin E had a lower chance of getting prostate cancer.' There are two principal forms of vitamin E. There is alpha tocopherol and gamma tocopherol. v They found that men with the highest levels of alpha tocopherol in their system were 53% less likely to get prostate cancer later on (natural levels of alpha tocopherol). Those with highest levels of gamma tocopherol in their blood had a 39% lower likelihood of developing prostate cancer. amma tocopherol represents about 20% of the vitamin E in blood. Experts say Vitamin E Supplements may not be the best source as they contain active and inactive form of the vitamin. They say products such as sunflower seeds are also high in selenium and other vitamin E rich foods provide other essential nutrients as well. The study was presented at a conference, so it's impossible to tell how clinically significant those difference may be. They may only represent a few percentage points difference in prostate cancer incidence. And there are other things to consider when taking vitamin E: Because vitamin E can thin the blood, high doses might increase the risk of abnormal bleeding. The main concern in this regard is combining vitamin E with other agents that thin the blood such as warfarin (Coumadin) or aspirin and other traditional NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen). In fact, research with the combination of vitamin E and aspirin suggests that an increased bleeding effect occurs even with relatively low doses of both agents. Use caution also when combining vitamin E with herbal supplements thought to thin the blood, which theoretically could increase bleeding risk. These herbs include feverfew, garlic, ginkgo, ginger, Panax ginseng, licorice, and many others. While we're talking about vitamin E, there's another important issue to consider. People continue to report they have been advised at the doctor's office to stop taking their vitamin E. This advice seems to be based on a 2001 clinical study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study results have been interpreted as suggesting that vitamin E might impair the ability of certain cholesterol-controlling drugs to raise levels of the most protective form of HDL cholesterol (the good kind). posted by Sydney on 3/29/2004 08:24:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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