Vitamines C and E failed to prevent cancer

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27752936/

 

updated 10:56 a.m. PT, Sun., Nov. 16, 2008

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WASHINGTON - Men who took vitamin E or vitamin C supplements were no more or

less likely to develop cancer than men given a placebo, indicating these

antioxidants have no cancer-prevention value, U.S. researchers said on Sunday.

Previous research showed that people who ate diets rich in vitamins E and C had

a lower risk of cancer, suggesting that supplements of these vitamins might help

ward off cancer, the researchers said.

The new study tracked cancer risk in 14,641 male U.S. doctors who took either

400 IU of vitamin E every other day or a placebo, or 500 milligrams of vitamin C

daily or a placebo. Their average age was 64 at the start of the study and they

were followed for eight years on average.

 

Taking the vitamins had no impact on the risk for any type of cancer,

Sesso of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and

colleagues reported at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer

Research.

Vitamins don't prevent heart disease, either

One week ago, Sesso reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association

that in the same population of men, taking these vitamins also failed to reduce

their risk of cardiovascular disease including heart attack and stroke.

" In our view, there's really no compelling reason to take these individual

vitamin E and C supplements, " Sesso said in a telephone interview. " Until other

evidence comes out otherwise, we would argue that without any clear benefit, why

would you take these? "

Vitamin E and vitamin C are antioxidants, thought to protect against damage

caused by free radicals, substances that can harm cells, tissues and organs.

Fruits and vegetables are rich in both, and it has been shown that people who

eat plenty of these foods may have a lower risk of heart disease, cancer and

other conditions.

The researchers were particularly interested in whether vitamin E

supplementation would reduce the risk of prostate cancer after earlier research

suggested it might. It did not.

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There has been controversy over vitamin C and cancer for decades. The idea that

vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, could be used to treat cancer was

advanced in the 1970s by American scientist Linus ing, who awarded the Nobel

Prize in chemistry in 1954.

Sesso said an ongoing element of his research is looking at whether taking a

multivitamin combining a number of different vitamins has any effect on the risk

for cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.