Updated on April 1, 2024.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. So it's important to learn about it, and what you can do to prevent it.
What the research shows
The prostate is a male reproductive organ that makes semen and is found below the bladder. For years, vitamin E supplements were thought to help prevent prostate cancer, among other conditions. But data from a long-term study suggest just the opposite.
The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT)—the largest-ever prostate cancer prevention study, started in 2001—concluded that vitamin E supplements may actually increase prostate cancer risk. Both vitamin E and selenium are antioxidants that may help decrease damage to your body caused by free radicals (unstable molecules created as a result of natural bodily processes).
The study involved over 35,000 men across North America. They were randomly assigned to take vitamin E supplements, selenium supplements, both, or a placebo. Then researchers followed them over time, noting how many cases of prostate cancer occurred and in whom.
The initial findings, released in 2008, suggested that vitamin E supplements didn't prevent prostate cancer. On the contrary, there was a small increase in cases. Researchers suspected, but were not certain, that the increase was due to chance.
By 2011, though, the study found that taking a 400 IU (270 mg) vitamin E supplement daily increased the risk of prostate cancer by 17 percent. It’s not clear why. A later analysis found that the selenium supplements may have been raising risk in some men, as well.
How much vitamin E do you really need?
Vitamin E occurs naturally in many foods, including almonds, sunflower seeds, and spinach. It’s important for good health, and the recommended daily allowance is 22 IU (or 15 milligrams). But compared with supplements, you're unlikely to get too much vitamin E in foods.
For example, an ounce of dry roasted almonds contains 6.8 milligrams or about 45 percent of your daily allowance of vitamin E. A typical supplement, by comparison, might contain over 270 milligrams, or 400 IU, which is over ten times more than the daily recommended amount.
The main idea? Skip vitamin E supplements for prostate cancer prevention.
In any case, age is among the strongest prostate cancer risk factors (something that increases your chances of having a medical condition). Up to eighty percent of prostate cancers that are diagnosed occur in men ages 65 and older.
Aim for your best health by exercising regularly as you are able, managing stress with techniques like meditation or breathing exercises, and eating a healthy diet rich in whole fruits, vegetabes, grains, and lean protein, and low in salt, added sugars and saturated fat (which is solid at room temperature, like butter). Also avoid trans fats, which are often found in processed and junk foods.
