High consumption of vitamin E either from diet or vitamin supplements may lower the risk of liver cancer, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Analysis by the Shanghai Cancer Institute of two studies conducted with Vanderbilt University revealed a lower liver cancer risk among those who had high intake of vitamin E with those who had low intake. In a statement, the paper’s authors highlight that vitamin E has already been associated with protecting DNA against damage. “We found a clear, inverse dose-response relation between vitamin E intake and liver cancer risk,” the authors write, in a statement.
Liver cancer is the third most common cause of cancer mortality in the world, the fifth most common cancer found in men and the seventh most common in women. Approximately 85% of liver cancers occur in developing nations, with 54% in China alone. Using validated food-frequency questionnaires, the researchers conducted in-person interviews to gather data on study participants’ dietary habits.
The investigators then compared liver cancer risk among participants who had high intake of vitamin E with those who had low intake. The analysis included 267 liver cancer patients (118 women and 149 men) who were diagnosed between two years after study enrollment and an average of 10.9 (SWHS) or 5.5 (SMHS) years of follow-up. Vitamin E intake from diet and vitamin E supplement use were both associated with a lower risk of liver cancer. This association was consistent among participants with and without self-reported liver disease or a family history of liver cancer.
“Overall, the take home message is that high intake of vitamin E either from diet or supplements was related to lower risk of liver cancer in middle-aged or older people from China,” said Xiao Ou Shu of the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center. Foods rich in vitamin E Nuts, seeds, avocados, tomatoes, spinach, blackberries, mangoes, olive oil
