Vitamin E and other common supplements fuel lung cancer in smokers, researchers fear.
They say that rather than preventing tumours, popular antioxidant pills may speed their growth and spread and hasten death.
The experiments were done on mice, but the Swedish researchers believe they are relevant to people.
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Researchers warn that Vitamin E and other common supplements (pictured) could fuel lung cancer in smokers. They say that rather than preventing tumours, popular antioxidant pills may speed their growth and spread and hasten death
VITAMIN E AND CANCER
Vitamin E helps maintain cell structure by protecting cell membranes.
Antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C and E, are credited with protecting against a host of ills, including cancer.
But this study finds Vitamin E and other supplements fuel lung cancer in smokers.
Vitamin E and other antioxidants are credited with boosting health by mopping up harmful molecules called free radicals.
But it is thought that if cancer has already started to develop, they may actually feed the disease by switching off the body’s natural defences.
The scientists recommended vitamin and other antioxidants are ‘used with caution’ by smokers and lung cancer patients.
Cancer Research UK recently said that we should be able to get all the vitamins we need from a healthy diet, without resorting to supplements.
Antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C and E, are credited with protecting against a host of ills, including cancer.
However, recent studies have hinted that in some cases they may actually fuel the disease.
When the University of Gothenburg researchers give vitamin E to mice in the very early stages of lung cancer, the disease grew and spread more quickly and the animals died twice as fast.
Experiments on human cells confirmed the finding.
A second antioxidant, a drug used to treat smoking-related lung conditions, had a similar effect.
Vitamin E and other antioxidants are credited with boosting health by mopping up harmful molecules called free radicals, which are unstable and highly reactive so that in animal tissues they can damage cells.
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Anyone can have small lung tumours that are yet to be spotted by doctors, but they are most common in smokers. A coloured X-ray of the chest of a 52-year-old female patient with secondary lung cancer is pictured
But it is thought that if cancer has already started to develop, antioxidants may actually feed the disease by switching off the body’s natural defences.
Although anyone can have small lung tumours that are yet to be spotted by doctors, they are most common in smokers.
The researchers said the amounts of vitamin E used were similar to those found in supplements.
They advised that the vitamin and other antioxidants are ‘used with caution’ by smokers, lung cancer patients and people with bronchitis, emphysema and other smoking-related lung conditions known collectively as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
They said it is too early to give any advice to healthy people – or to say if vitamins speed the spread of other cancers.
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Vitamin E and other antioxidants are credited with boosting health by mopping up harmful molecules called free radicals (illustrated)
The warning, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, is unlikely to apply to vitamin-rich ‘superfoods’ such as blueberries as they would have to be eaten in huge amounts to provide the levels of antioxidants contained in supplements.
Dr Emma Smith, of Cancer Research UK’s senior science communications officer, cautioned that the study was done on mice and it is not clear what it means for people.
However, she added: ‘There’s no strong evidence that antioxidants or vitamin supplements could reduce cancer risk, and some types of supplement can actually raise the risk.
‘There have also been concerns raised that antioxidants may interfere with cancer treatments.
‘We recommend that people stick to a healthy, balanced diet, which should provide all the nutrients you need without taking supplements.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2548212/Does-Vitamin-E-FUEL-cancer-smokers-Supplements-speed-growth-tumours.html#ixzz2rpNXe5El
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