(NaturalNews) Even with all the progress that has been made in cancer detection and treatment in the last few decades, there is still a long way to go. Even with all the money that gets poured into cancer research, this disease remains the fourth leading cause of death in the United States – and numbers are similar for many other countries around the world. And a big part of the problem is that the majority of cancer therapies still revolve around some combination of surgery, chemo or radiation therapy. All of these treatments carry risks – and all have unwanted side effects. That is why so many researchers are putting their time into coming up with more natural ways to treat cancer. And one surprising candidate that has emerged from all of this is vitamin E, which is more popularly known for its ability to nourish the skin.

Vitamin E and cancer

What has many people in the cancer research community talking about are several recently published studies that appear to the have found a link between high levels of vitamin E in the body and a decreased chance of breast cancer. Since this form of cancer remains of vital concern to women in particular, these studies have garnered a lot of attention.

How does it work?

While these studies were conducted separately, scientists participating in them drew some similar conclusions about the role that vitamin E plays in preventing cancer development. It appears that vitamin E is able to interfere with the special cells which actually nourish the cancerous tumor and help it to grow. This interference means that the tumor is not able to grow – or more importantly, not able to spread to other parts of the body. It also was apparently able to induce higher rates of cancer cell death – but without harming surrounding tissues.

Not all vitamin E is created equal

Before heading out to your local health food store to pick up a bottle of vitamin E – read on! Vitamin E actually comes in many different forms – and not all of these forms appear to be able to affect cancer cells in the way just described. The best kind appears to be vitamin E succinate, because it is this form which can act on the cancer cells and disrupt their ability to reproduce and spread – as well as hasten their death.

More research needs to be done to better understand the link between vitamin E levels and cancer – and the exact means by which this vitamin is able to stave off disease development. In the meantime, however, making sure to consume foods that are rich in Vitamin E and considering a supplement certainly won't hurt!

Sources:

http://www.biomedcentral.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://www.canceractive.com

About the author:
Sofiya has written articles on most health-related topics, including traditional medicine, alternative and naturopathic and natural treatments,health insurance, wellness, medical marijuana, diets and fitness.