New evidence suggests vitamin E may lower the risk of some cancers.
The study, reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that people who consume vitamin E supplements have a 50 percent lower risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer compared with non-vitamin users.
The researchers also found that multivitamins containing E had no visible effect on lowering risk. One researcher said, “We speculate that the vitamin E dosage in multivitamins (usually 30 I.U.) was not sufficient for a protective effect.”
Separate vitamin E supplements usually contain 10 times the recommended daily allowance. Researchers are hopeful that further research will support that vitamin E prevents cancer while determining the necessary dosage.