2011-10-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

The recent article regarding Prostate cancer and Vitamin E needs to be understood from the proper perspective.
Here is what they did:

34,887 men from the US, Canada & Puerto Rico were given a PSA test and a digital exam to rule out any pre-existing Prostate cancer.
8,752 were given Selenium (200 micrograms l-selenomethionine)
8,737 were given vitamin E (400 IU alpha tocopherol acetate)
8,702 were given selenium and vitamin E
8,696 were given placebo
The study lasted 7 years - from 2001-2008

Here were the findings: THERE WAS NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF PROSTATE CANCER IN THE VITAMIN GROUPS AS COMPARED TO PLACEBO!

So then THEY STOPPED GIVING THE MEN THE SUPPLEMENTS, and within 3 years, there occurred 521 additional cases of prostate cancer that they then added to the original data to get the following results:

529 men from the Placebo group got prostate cancer
620 men from the Vit E group got prostate cancer
575 men from the selenium group got prostate cancer
555 men from the selenium + vitamin E group got prostate cancer

Get it? No increased cancer rates while taking the supplements. Increased cancer rates after stopping the supplements. Therefore the supplements caused cancer!
This type of research is of course is cause for alarm and outrage, but the damage is already done - and even if this report is retracted, nobody will pay attention to it...

Medical Mythbusting