High consumption of vitamin E either from
diet or vitamin supplements may lower the risk of liver cancer, according to Wei
Zhang of the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, and colleagues
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin which is
considered an antioxidant and numerous experimental studies have suggested that
vitamin E may prevent DNA damage.
Worldwide cases of liver cancer are on the
rise, taking third place as the 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 percent of liver cancers occur in developing nations,
with 54 percent in China
alone.
The liver is charged with performing more
than 300 critical functions in the body; from cholesterol and glucose
metabolism to clearing dangerous chemical and bacterial invaders before they
can wreak cellular havoc. A diagnosis of liver cancer is frequently associated
with early mortality and diminished quality of life.
The researchers analyzed data from a total
of 132,837 individuals in China who were enrolled in the Shanghai Women’s
Health Study (SWHS) from 1997-2000 or the Shanghai Men’s Health Study (SMHS)
from 2002-2006, two population-based cohort studies jointly conducted by the
Shanghai Cancer Institute and Vanderbilt University.
Using validated food-frequency
questionnaires, the researchers conducted in-person interviews to gather data
on study participants’ dietary habits. Participants were asked how often they
ate some of the most commonly consumed foods in urban Shanghai and whether they took vitamin
supplements.
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.
“We found a clear, inverse dose-response
relation between vitamin E intake and liver cancer risk,” the authors write,
noting a small difference between men and women in the risk estimate, which is
likely attributable to fewer liver cancer cases having occurred among male
participants due to the shorter follow-up period.
“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, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Medicine at the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center.
Conversely, participants who had the
highest vitamin C intake from supplements and who had a family history of liver
cancer or self-reported liver disease were more likely to develop liver cancer.
There was no link to liver cancer among participants who had the highest levels
of vitamin C or other vitamins from food.
###
The above story is based on the July 18,
2012 news release by Vanderbilt University Medical
Center
The research was first published online
July 17, 2012 in the Journal of the National Cancer, a peer-reviewed medical journal by
Oxford University Press:
Wei Zhang, Xiao-Ou Shu, Honglan Li, Gong
Yang, Hui Cai, Bu-Tian Ji, Jing Gao, Yu-Tang Gao, Wei Zheng, and Yong-Bing
Xiang. Vitamin Intake and Liver Cancer
Risk: A Report From Two Cohort Studies in China. J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 2012; DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djs277
Currently,
there is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C infection
However, you can take steps to protect
yourself from becoming infected with hepatitis C virus and to prevent passing
the virus to others.
- Don't share personal care items that might have blood on them, such as razors or toothbrushes
- Avoid injected drugs or, for drug users, enter a treatment program
- Never share needles, syringes, water, or "works" (equipment for intravenous drug use) and get vaccinated against hepatitis A and hepatitis B if you are a drug user
- Consider the risks of getting tattoos or body piercings. You can get infected if the tools have someone else's blood on them or if the artist or piercer does not follow good health practices.
- Don't donate blood, organs, or tissue if you have hepatitis C
- Practice safer sex if you choose to have sex. Don't engage in unprotected sex with multiple partners or with any partner whose health status is uncertain. Sexual transmission between monogamous couples may occur, but the risk is low.
The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases has more about hepatitis C.
The dose of Vitamin E in the above analysis
is not mentioned but John Phillip, a health researcher and author, suggested
400 to 800 IU daily to benefit from lowered risk from liver cancer and chronic
disease.
Vitamin
E : Get more information HERE
- Health Risks from Excessive Vitamin E
- Interactions with Medications
- Sources of Vitamin E
- Recommended Intakes
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