The liver is the largest organ in the body, and it plays a vital role in keeping the human body healthy and functional. Some of its main day-to-day functions include storing vitamins and nutrients, producing a protein used for blood clotting, and creating bile used for digestion. The liver also helps to break down and filter out toxins from the blood. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 700,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer each year throughout the world. Liver cancer is the third most common cause of cancer mortality in the world, with more than 600,000 deaths each year. It is also the fifth most common cancer found in men and the seventh most common cancer found in women.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that has long been known for its various benefits effects on the body, and recent experimental studies now suggest that vitamin E may prevent DNA damage. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that acts to protect our cells against the effects of free radicals that can damage cells and contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Vitamin E deficiency induces poor nerve conduction that leads to neurological problems. Besides lowering the chance to get cancer and cardiovascular diseases, vitamin E can also help prevent and delay age-related muscular degeneration, as well as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Symptoms of vitamin E deficiency include muscle weakness, loss of muscle mass, abnormal eye movements, vision problems, and unsteady walking.
Owing to its antioxidant properties, vitamin E contributes greatly to skin and hair care through its ability to promote the circulation of blood to the scalp. Vitamin E also helps to alleviate fatigue and strengthen capillary walls while nourishing the cells. Another wonderful benefit of vitamin E is that it can help treat scars, acne, and wrinkles because through its ability to speed up cell regeneration. This creates an anti-aging effect, which makes the skin look younger.
According to a study published on July 17 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, high consumption of vitamin E either from diet or vitamin supplements may lower the risk of liver cancer. The study was conducted by investigators from the Shanghai Cancer Institute, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute.
To determine the relationship between vitamin E intake and liver cancer risk, researchers analyzed data from 132,837 individuals in China who were enrolled in the Shanghai Women’s Health Study (SWHS) from 1997-2000 or the Shanghai Men’s Health Study (SMHS) from 2002-2006, the two population-based cohort studies were conducted together by both the Shanghai Cancer Institute and Vanderbilt University.
The researchers conducted in-person interviews to gather information on the participant’s dietary habits. The investigators then compared the liver cancer risk between participants that consumed a high vitamin E diet to those that had a low vitamin E diet. The study analysis included 267 liver cancer patients (118 women and 149 men) who were diagnosed within two years after study enrollment. The results showed that Vitamin E intake from diet and vitamin E supplement use were both associated with a lower risk of liver cancer.
The study concluded that there was a clear, inverse dose-response relationship between vitamin E intake and liver cancer risk. In other words, high consumption of vitamin E either from diet or supplements was related to the lowered risk of liver cancer.
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