| Facts About Vitamin E and Cancer
Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant that protects living cell membranes from damage by oxygen free radicals. Many studies have found that individuals with Vitamin E deficiencies may be at a higher risk for contracting various kinds of cancers. Since Vitamin E is a respiratory tract antioxidant, taking the proper amounts of Vitamin E is especially important for smokers and for those exposed to second-hand smoke. Vitamin E levels in the body decrease with age, so Vitamin E supplementation is important to the elderly since it gives their immune systems a boost and helps them to better resist infections. From Textbook of Natural Medicine Second Edition, Vol 1. Edited by Joseph F. Pizzorno Jr and Michael T. Murray, 1999. pgs 914-915.
Vitamin E is also helpful for patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy treatment. One study showed that, in conjunction with Vitamin C and N-acetyl-cysteine, Vitamin E protected left ventricle function and reduced ejection fraction in the heart. In addition, Vitamin E provided protection against cardiomyopathies induced by chemotherapy, and in combination with Vitamin A and Coenzyme Q 10 reduced the side effects of the chemotherapy drug Adriamycin. Vitamin E can also increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs. From Disease Prevention and Treatment Expanded Third Edition. Edited by Melanie Segala, 2000, pg 149.
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