High dosage
Good evening,
Yesterday, I read about two American studies on high-dose vitamin E rather accidentally. The VITAL study found that taking 400 mg of vitamin E capsules daily for over ten years increased the risk of lung cancer by 28%. Smokers were the most affected by this increased risk. The SELECT study found that in a group with increased vitamin E intake, more men developed prostate cancer compared to the placebo group.
I was quite shocked since I had been taking high-dose vitamin E tablets myself until yesterday. I had been taking the pills to prevent diseases like cancer and cardiovascular diseases. From 1990 to 2005 (when I was still smoking), I took a vitamin E pill five to six times a week, with dosages around 300 to 350 mg of vitamin E. From 2006 onwards until yesterday, I didn't take as many, only about three times a week. However, the pills I took in recent years were mostly higher dosages, around 405 mg of vitamin E – why the manufacturers increased the dosage remains a mystery.
After learning about the new and alarming information, I immediately disposed of all the pills and filled up the vegetable compartment instead. I have switched to only consuming natural vitamins now. Despite this, I have a lingering question: based on my previous vitamin E intake as described above, can it be estimated to what extent I have increased my cancer risk?
