This vitamin significantly increases the risk of cancer in men

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Vitamins and minerals are nutrients which are necessary for your body in small quantities for proper work and health. Most people should get all the nutrients they need by eating a varied and balanced diet, although some people may need to take additional supplements.

First, bold claims are not always supported by evidence. Second, some vitamin supplements may pose health risks.

Regarding the latter, vitamin E has been linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer in men.

Vitamin E helps maintain the health of the skin and eyes, and also strengthens the body's natural defense against diseases and infections (immune system). However, research on the long-term effects of vitamin E is limited.

In the study, the authors sought to determine the long-term effects of vitamin E and selenium on prostate cancer risk in relatively healthy men.

Selenium is important a component of various enzymes and proteins. The report was part of the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Study (SELECT), a clinical trial that looked at whether one or both of these substances could help prevent prostate cancer when taken as dietary supplements.

Compared with placebo, in which 529 men developed prostate cancer, 620 men in the vitamin E group developed prostate cancer; as were 575 in the selenium group and 555 in the selenium plus vitamin E group.

“Compared with placebo, the absolute increase in prostate cancer risk per 1,000 person-years was 1.6 for vitamin E, 0.8 for selenium and 0.4 for the combination,” the researchers write.