FoodFacts.com has always kept a close eye on the potential effects of vitamins and supplements on our health. Recently, we introduced our own line of vitamins and supplements that address the need for better-formulated products that are free from the controversial ingredients we are always addressing. You can find them at the FoodFacts TRI Nutritionals website.

Today we read some great information we wanted to share with our community about Vitamin E and its anti-cancer properties. It’s long been presumed that this vitamin could prevent cancer, in fact many animal studies have suggested the idea. However, human clinical trials that were conducted to follow up on those findings did not illustrate the same benefits.

A new study out of Ohio State University and Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center have now shown that Vitamin E can, in fact, have some benefit in cancer prevention and treatment. Researchers showed that in prostate cancer cells, one form of Vitamin E inhibits the activation of an enzyme (the Akt enzyme) that must be present in order for cancer cells to survive.

The study points out that a readily available Vitamin E supplement won’t do the trick. Affordable Vitamin E supplements are  based on a vitamin form that didn’t fight cancer as effectively in the study. In addition, the human body can’t absorb the high dose of a typical supplement that would be required to achieve the anti-cancer effect demonstrated.

The most commonly known form of Vitamin E is a variety called tocopherols. Researchers were able to show that a specific form of tocopherol is the most potent anti-cancer form of the vitamin. The scientists manipulated the structure of the Vitamin E molecule and found that the new substance created was able to reduce the size of prostate tumors in mice. Effectively it was able to shut off the Akt enzyme. Mice with prostate cancer who were injected with the agent created by the scientists experienced suppressed tumor growth when compared to those mice injected with a placebo which had no effect on tumor growth. Chemical analysis of the treated tumors showed that the Akt enzyme signal was suppressed. The animal study also suggested the experimental agent was not toxic.

These findings suggest that an agent based on the chemical structure of one form of vitamin E could help prevent and treat numerous types of cancer. It was noted that this is a new finding. While other benefits of Vitamin E have been known for years, no one knew about the specific anti-cancer benefits of this specific form of the vitamin. The researchers are continuing to work on the Vitamin E formulation that they have developed.

FoodFacts.com hopes to report further information in the future regarding the work of these researchers. We look forward to the day that Vitamin E may become a treatment for cancer that will present patients with non-toxic, more natural options in fighting their disease.

There’s more information here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/257741.php