Vitamin Trader - Healthy Discounts on Quality Vitamins

Vitamin E taken at 800 IU per day improves the immune functioning of elderly people who are neither deficient nor sick. Vitamin E reduces the levels of prostaglandin E2 (a hormone-like substance that impairs immunity) and increases interleukin 2 (one of the immune system's major weapons against invasion) (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1990; 52:557

But vitamin E succinate works in other ways as well. In a recent paper, researchers from NCI reported that vitamin E succinate prompts apoptosis (programed cell death) in breast cancer cells. "An advantage for using Vitamin E and/or Vitamin E derivatives in human cancer therapy is its low level of toxicity . . ."
(Turley, J.M., Fu, T., et al. "Vitamin E succinate induces Fasmediated apoptosis in estrogen receptor-negative human breast cancer cells." Cancer Research, 57:881-90, March 1, 1997. )

Of course, cell-culture studies are a long way from human trials. But Gerald Shklar, D.D.S, of the Harvard University Dental School, has taken the next step. He used a toxic chemical to induce oral cancer in hamsters, then fed them Vitamin E succinate. The Vitamin E prevented cancer growth, and its mechanism was particularly surprising. It inhibited angiogensis (the growth of tumor-feeding blood vessels), thus suggesting yet another way vitamin E may help treat breast cancer.

(Shklar, G., & Schwartz, J.L. "Vitamin E inhibits experimental carcinogenesis and tumour angiogenesis."Oral Oncology, European Journal of Cancer, 32B:114-19, 1996.)

Jack Chalem, Nutrition Science News, August 1997, page 391 Vol.2, Issue 8