A new U.S. study has revealed that supplements of vitamin E can increase the risk of lung cancer. The study revealed that taking daily supplements of vitamin E during a long-term period can increase cancer risk by 28 percent.
The study was done on 77,000 people. Researchers found that taking 400 milligrams per day long-term increased the cancer risk by 28%.
“Our study of supplemental multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and folate did not show any evidence for a decreased risk of lung cancer,” study author Dr. Christopher G. Slatore, a fellow in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Washington, said in a statement. “Indeed, increasing intake of supplemental vitamin E was associated with a slightly increased risk of lung cancer.”
For every 100 milligrams of vitamin C taken per day, researchers found a 7% increase in the risk of developing lung cancer.
“Some estimates are that around 50 percent of the American public takes supplemental vitamins of some sort. There’s been a lot of thought about: ‘do these supplements actually prevent chronic diseases like lung cancer, other cancers, heart disease?”‘ Slatore said.
The report has been published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.