The Prostate Cancer Charity comments on new research, published
in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) which
suggests that men who took vitamin E supplements were more likely
to develop the disease than those who did not.
Dr Helen Rippon, Head of Research Management at The Prostate
Cancer Charity, explains: "This new large-scale research radically
challenges the hope that vitamin E and selenium supplements might
be an effective way for men to reduce their risk of developing
prostate cancer. Rather, the researchers have shown that, far from
being protective, selenium has no effect upon prostate cancer rates
in men, whilst excessive levels of vitamin E actually
increases a man's risk of getting the disease considerably.
"Dietary supplements are often taken without the advice of
medical professionals as they are often seen as risk free - but as
this important new study shows, the true effects of these
supplements are not always clear.
"Unfortunately for men, this means that a simple dietary
supplement to protect against prostate cancer remains elusive.
Therefore, any man wishing to reduce their risk of the disease
should stick to a healthy, balanced diet which will ensure they get
the right level of vitamins and minerals they need, without
supplements."