A recent headline on the news and in the newspapers reported last week that taking vitamin E and selenium supplements dramatically increased the risk of men developing prostate cancer. It was originally thought that these supplements may in fact reduce the risk of prostate cancer so a r andomised controlled trial carried out. The trial was halted in 2008 as the man taking supplements had an increased incidence of developing prostate cancer.
The authors as of yet really don’t know why there was an increased incidence of prostate cancer in the men taking the supplements. The men in the study were given vitamin E as DL alpha tocopherol at 400 IU and all 200 mg of selenomethionine, both quite a large doses.
One thing we do know from previous research studies is that taking single large doses of antioxidants can actually cause health problems. Antioxidants work in a complicated and synergistic fashion. For example vitamin C helps to recycle vitamin E, which in turn helps to recycle glutathione which is further recycled by alpha lipoic acid and CoQ10. If a single large dose of an antioxidant is given on its own it can become a pro oxidant and if there are not other antioxidants present to recycle it, it begins to create damage. Perhaps there is something in vitamin E and selenium that creates pro-oxidative damage to the prostate tissue.
Perhaps what we have learned from the study is that we should not be taking single large doses of antioxidants, but instead could take a multivitamin and mineral, which has small doses of many different vitamins and minerals which can act in a healthy and synergistic way; and of course use supplements in a supplementary fashion to a healthy diet.
There is no evidence that taking a multivitamin causes and increased risk of developing prostate cancer or in fact any other cancer. There have been some documented side effects and negative cases of taking multivitamin, however these are extremely rare. You can find out more about supplements, their indication for use and contra indications for use in my book called what are nutritional supplements.
