Free radical damage and cancer
Most people think of cancer as a single a single disease, but in fact there are more than 100 kinds of cancer. They are brought on by many factor, but virtually all develop because of damage by free radicals. Free radicals are produced as by-products of energy metabolism. Free radicals are also generated when the body is exposed to pollutants from air and water, intense sunlight and chemicals (carcinogens). Tobacco smoke increase free radicals significantly, which is why smokers have a much higher risk of developing lung cancer.
Cancer is a disease in which normal cell growth goes haywire. Most cancers begin when free radical damage genes involved in controlling cell division and it can result in the cells dividing uncontrollably, producing tumor (malignant). Even when a cell becomes cancerous, the body's immune system can often destroy it before it replicates and comes established as cancer. But when free radical damage occurs in enough of your cells can overwhelm the immune system and proliferate ( multiply ) and spread.
How vitamin E helps prevent cancer
Vitamin E being a potent fat soluble antioxidant protects the cell membranes and nucleus membranes that protect the DNA and vital enzymes. Protection of the DNA is critical for reducing the risk of cancer. Vitamin E also may block the formation of nitrosamines, which are carcinogens formed in the stomach from nitrites consumed in the diet. It also may protect against the development of cancers by enhancing immune function.
Vitamin E supplementation significantly lowers the risk of prostate cancer according to the report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. In the study, found that the men taking vitamin E were found to be 32 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer and 41 percent less likely to die from the disease if they did develop it. And these beneficial effects were seen within two years of starting the supplementation.
The anticancer effects of tocotrienols have garnered a lot of attention. One of the innate protectors against cancer is a process known as ˇ°apoptosisˇ±. Apoptosis is an encoded suicide program designed to protect cells from becoming cancerous. When this process fails, cancer develops. Tocotrienols effectively promote apoptosis with delta-tocotrienol being twice as potent as gamma tocotrienol.
Another anticancer mechanism involves inhibiting enzymes within cancer cells that stimulate them to replicate. Gamma tocotrienol was shown to be three times more potent in inhibiting growth of human breast cancer cultured cells than chemotherapy drug tamoxifen.
The result of a long-term study that evaluated the effect of regular use of vitamin C and vitamin E supplements on bladder cancer. People who regularly consumed a vitamin E supplement for longer than 10 years had a reduced risk of death from ladder cancer.
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