Recent scientific studies suggest that women can cut the risk of breast cancer by up to 90 per cent by increasing their dietary intake of newly identified forms of vitamin E. But as a study by the US-based Life Extension Foundation shows, it all depends what type of vitamin E they use.
The Foundation said that the studies' findings were based upon earlier research showing that high dietary intake of special fractions of vitamin E contributed to a strikingly low incidence of breast cancer. But the studies also showed that most vitamin E products (alpha tocopherol) do not protect against breast cancer, while other forms of vitamin E (tocotrienols and gamma tocopherol) may dramatically reduce the incidence of this killer disease.
In fact, tocotrienols have shown potent effects in inhibiting the proliferation and inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) in studies on breast cancer cells in culture, it claimed.
The Life Extension Foundation recently posted an analysis of studies showing the relationship between vitamin E and breast cancer on its website .
The Foundation concluded that most commercial vitamin E supplements do not protect against breast cancer, whereas gamma tocopherol and tocotrienols may reduce the risk by 30 to 90 percent. Gamma tocopherol and tocotrienols can be found in the oil fraction of cereal grains, seeds and nuts, but are also available in many dietary supplements.