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Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Cancer
A longtime theory has argued that the adequacy of the supply of antioxidant vitamins to people's cells and tissues has a role in cancer's development, progress, and outcomes. A team headed by Ian Coulter, Ph.D., of the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center at RAND, analyzed the literature (selecting 38 studies for detailed review) on whether two antioxidants--vitamin C and vitamin E--prevent, treat, and/or modify the risks for cancer. They concluded that neither of the supplements were effective for these purposes, at the doses and in the populations tested. They noted that there were a few isolated findings of benefit, but these would need to be studied further in order to be confirmed, and the findings from randomized clinical trials were generally negative. Journal of General Internal Medicine, July 2006
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