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Bankers Life And Casualty Company Clients May Have Mixed Results When Using Drugs And Supplements

To maintain their top physical condition and vibrant health, many Americans take a variety of natural supplements. One of these may be vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin that's found naturally in many foods.

But according to a recent study, men who consume high levels of this antioxidant may raise their risk for prostate cancer, one of the leading cancer diagnoses among men. Bankers Life and Casualty Company wants its customers to be aware of this important study.

In 2001, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic created a trial that investigated what, if any, protective benefits men had from being diagnosed with prostate cancer by supplementing with vitamin E and selenium, a trace mineral found primarily in protein sources such as fish, poultry and organ meats. The researchers were shocked to learn that not only did vitamin E not protect men from prostate cancer, it actually heightened their risk of being diagnosed with the disease when consumed in large amounts. Supplementing with selenium had no effect one way or the other.

 "These were surprising findings in view of all the data that suggested they were beneficial," said Eric Klein, chairman of Urology at the Cleveland Clinic and the study's lead author. "For every 1,000 men who took a placebo, there were only 65 new cancers. For every 1,000 men who took vitamin E, 76 got prostate cancer. That's a statistically significant increase

." The study has since been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Based on the results of the study, Klein said that men should speak with their doctors about whether supplementing with vitamin E or any other nutrients is worthwhile.

"About half the men who are age 60 or older take vitamin E, and about a quarter take vitamin E at the level that was used in the trial: 400 international units or more," said Klein. "In my opinion, there is no compelling evidence that vitamins are beneficial, and there is some evidence that they can be harmful.

" Klein also mentioned that it's not known what impact low doses of vitamin E has on prostate cancer risk. As for the men in the study, they were getting 18 times more than what is recommended daily, which according to the Institute of Medicine is 22 International Units.

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, more than 16 million men have the disease in the world, or what amounts to 1 in 6 men. It is the most common type of non-skin cancer in America. It is most commonly found in older men, as more than 65 percent of all prostate cancer diagnoses are found in men over the age of 65. With 90 percent of all prostate cancers diagnosed in the early stages, the PCF says the cure rate for the Bankers Life And Casualty Company Clients May Have Mixed Results When Using Drugs And Supplements disease is high. About Bankers Life And Casualty Company Bankers Life and Casualty Company helps its clients obtain quality, affordable health insurance so long-term care costs, including drugs and supplements used to treat illnesses like prostate cancer, doesn’t become a major financial burden during their retirement years...