Vitamin E supplements are believed to reduce the risk of bladder cancer mortality, according to a study conducted by the American Cancer Society. Antioxidants such as Vitamin E have long been recognized as fighting off free radicals, which are molecules associated with aging and certain diseases, including cancer.
A team of nine researchers examined the association between use of Vitamin E supplements and bladder cancer deaths. Health records of almost one million adults were studied for a 16-year period. Bladder cancer deaths occurred in men almost three times more than in women.
Regular use of Vitamin E in supplement form over a period of years, however, was associated with a reduced risk of bladder cancer mortality, the study showed. The strongest evidence came from test patients who consumed Vitamin E supplements for a long duration -- 10 years or more.
The study was conducted by the American Cancer Society's Department of Epidemiology and Surveillance Research. The study has been published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Research on Vitamin E has shown it to be a potent antioxidant that attaches directly to "bad" cholesterol in the blood and helps prevent damage from free radicals. Studies have shown that Vitamin E can help prevent atherosclerosis -- plaque within artery walls -- and that Vitamin E may slow the progression of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, in addition to fighting other diseases and illnesses.