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Nutrients - How Vitamin E Helps Protect
Against Cancer
Vitamin E is a natural cancer fighter found in the germ of wheat and
other grains, nuts, and beans. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that
is thought to protect the body from a plethora of diseases, such
as arthritis; heart disease; diabetes; bowel, lung, and renal disease;
and also cancer.1 Its major function in
the body is to act as an antioxidant. Vitamin E works quickly and
reacts with destructive substances called free radicals, rendering
them harmless before they get a chance to harm DNA, therefore preventing
mutations and tumor growth. Studies have suggested that if you are
running low on vitamin E, you may be at increased cancer risk.2
Studies specific for vitamin E have shown it to significantly decrease
risk for prostate, colon, and lung cancers.3-6
Food Sources
Vitamin E is synthesized only by plants and is found in largest amounts in plant oils.
Unlike vitamin A, which is stored in the liver in enormous quantities and is easily
accessible, vitamin E is kept in fat tissue and is more difficult to retrieve. Your body
can go without taking in vitamin A for up to one or two year without suffering from a
deficiency, but only two to six weeks without vitamin E consumption.1
Therefore, it is important to consume enough vitamin E on a regular basis.
The recommended dietary allowance of vitamin E is 8 milligrams per day for women and 10
milligrams per day for men. To get the best benefit from this cancer-fighting nutrient,
you will want to include plenty of vitamin E-rich foods in your diet to meet or exceed
this amount. Choosing a serving or two of vitamin C rich-foods daily will help your body
recycle vitamin E and use it repeatedly.
Here are some food sources of vitamin E:
| Food |
Vitamin E
(mg/serving) |
| Almonds, 1 ounce dried |
6.7 |
| Avocado, 1 medium |
2.3 |
| Broccoli, 1 cup cooked |
2.6 |
| Brown rice, 1 cup cooked |
1.4 |
| Brussels sprouts, 1 cup cooked |
1.3 |
| Canola oil, 1 tablespoon |
2.9 |
| Hazelnuts, 1 ounce dry roasted |
6.8 |
| Mango, 1 medium |
2.3 |
| Mustard greens, 1 cup cooked |
2.8 |
| Navy beans, 1 cup cooked |
4.1 |
| Olive oil, 1 tablespoon |
1.7 |
| Peanut butter, 2 tablespoons |
3.2 |
| Pinto beans, 1 cup cooked |
1.6 |
| Soybeans, 1 cup cooked |
3.4 |
| Spaghetti sauce, 1 cup cooked |
3.1 |
| Spinach, 1 cup raw |
1.6 |
| Sunflower seeds, 1 ounce dry roasted |
14.3 |
| Wheat germ, 1 ounce toasted |
4.0 |
Tips for Increasing Vitamin E in Your Diet
- Instead of using butter or cream cheese on your toast, try using peanut butter or, if
you're feeling adventurous, those delicious and under-appreciated almond and sunflower
butters available in health food stores.
- Always choose peanut, almond, or other butters that are made only from nuts, with no
added sweeteners. Sweetened butters often contain hydrogenated oils (which contain
artery-clogging trans-fatty acids) as well as high amounts of sugar. By choosing a
sugar-free butter you will get more vitamin E per calorie. If these sugar-free
peanut/almond butters don't seem sweet enough for you, just give your taste buds time to
readjust. Soon you will lose your taste for those sugary, over-processed spreads.
- If you use oil in cooking, try switching to a little canola oil. Not only is canola oil
a good source of vitamin E, but it is also a great source of heart-healthy polyunsaturated
fatty acids including the essential omega-3 fatty acids.
- For a snack, try some roasted nuts or trail mix.
- Have some wheat germ for breakfast. If you don't like it straight, try mixing it with
other cereal.
- Sprinkle some walnuts or sunflower seeds over your salad.
- Watch your fat intake. It's good to limit nuts and oils that do not have a lot of
vitamin E, such as cashews, macadamia nuts, and pine nuts, in order to make room for
vitamin E-rich foods.
- If you are on a low-fat diet and are concerned you are not getting enough vitamin E,
feel free to take a supplement. While vitamin E from foods is always preferred, studies
show that the benefits of vitamin E are still seen with the use of supplements. Look for
supplements made without gelatin.
References
1. Combs GF. Vitamin E. In the Vitamins: Fundamental Aspects
in Nutrition and Health. 2nd
edition. Academic Press, 1992:190-219.
2. Knekt P, Aromaa A, Maatela J, et al. Vitamin E and cancer
prevention. Am J Clin Nutr 1991;53:283-6.
3. Giovannucci E. Gamma-tocopherol: a new player in prostate
cancer prevention? J Natl Cancer Inst 2000;92:1966-7.
4. Smigel K. Vitamin E reduces prostate cancer rates in Finnish
trial: U.S. considers follow-up. J Natl Cancer Inst 1998;90:416-7.
5. Stone WL, Papas AM. Tocopherols and the etiology of colon
cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 1997;89:1006-14.
6. Woodson K, Tangrea JA, Barrett MJ, et al. Serum alpha-tocopherol
and subsequent risk of lung cancer among male smokers. J Natl Cancer
Inst 1999;91:1738-43.
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