Raises risk
Vitamin E pills
high-dose vitamin E (400 IU a day). Vitamins & minerals.
Safety: Raised prostate cancer risk by 17% in SELECT, a trial of more than 35,000 men.
- Verdict
- Raises riskStudies link it to higher cancer risk.
- How sure
- Rung 4 · StrongAt least one large randomized trial, or very large consistent studies, on this exact question.
- How big
- 17% higher prostate cancer risk in SELECT.
The rung shows how sure the science is, not how big the effect is. How to read these ratings
Cancers affected
Prostate
What the evidence shows
In SELECT, a trial of more than 35,000 men, 400 IU of vitamin E a day raised prostate cancer risk by 17%.
What to do
Don't take high-dose vitamin E to prevent cancer.
Sources
To take it to your doctor, print this page.
Spotted an error? Tell us and we’ll check it against the sources.
Step by step
For the whole picture, from prevention and screening to treatment and life after, see the prostate cancer page.