Vitamin E May Reduce Risk Of Liver Cancer

Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that supports the health of the nervous system, can help protect the digestive tract and stands guard over cell membranes. It may also lower your risk of cancer.

According to two studies jointly conducted by the Shanghai Cancer Institute and Vanderbilt University and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, vitamin E may lower the risk of liver cancer. The investigators compared liver cancer risk among participants who had high intake of vitamin E with those who had low intake.

“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,” says researcher Xiao Ou Shu, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center.

Liver cancer is the third most common cause of cancer mortality in the world, the fifth most common cancer found in men and the seventh most common in women.

Most Americans are deficient in vitamin E. Dietary sources include nuts, especially almonds and vegetable oils like sunflower or safflower oil. Avocados, green olives, and leafy green and orange vegetables also have vitamin E.