The Study
Vitamin E and selenium do not decrease prostate cancer incidence: vitamin E may actually increase it
This study gave different pills to thousands of men and watched who got prostate cancer. It found that taking vitamin E might make it more likely to get cancer, but it didn't prove it for sure. So we can say it 'might' be risky, not that it definitely causes it.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested if taking vitamin E or selenium pills could stop prostate cancer in healthy older men.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 568 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This means for every 100 men taking vitamin E, about 1–2 extra cases of prostate cancer might happen over 5 years — a real risk, not just a number.
- 2Men who took 400 IU of vitamin E daily had 17% more prostate cancer than those who took a sugar pill.
- 3Selenium pills didn't help or hurt.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Evidence-Based Medicine
Year
2012
Authors
Samay Jain, R. Munver, I. Sawczuk
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking 400 IU of vitamin E daily for about 5.5 years increases the risk of prostate cancer by 17% in healthy men aged 50 and older compared to taking a placebo.
Taking 200 micrograms of selenium daily for about 5.5 years does not change the rate of prostate cancer in healthy men aged 50 and older.
Taking vitamin E or selenium supplements, either alone or together, does not lower the risk of developing prostate cancer in healthy men aged 50 and older over a 5.5-year period.
In healthy men aged 50 and older, taking vitamin E supplements is associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer, but taking selenium supplements alone or with vitamin E does not show the same increase in risk.
Taking 400 IU of vitamin E and 200 mcg of selenium every day for about 5.5 years does not lower the chance of developing prostate cancer in healthy men aged 50 and older.
Taking high doses of vitamin E supplements raises the number of prostate cancer cases in men without pre-existing cancer.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.