Alpha-Tocopheryl Succinate May Hold Anti-Cancer Promise

Alpha-Tocopheryl Succinate May Hold Anti-Cancer Promise

DENVER--Alpha-tocopheryl succinate was deemed the mosteffective form of vitamin E in 1982, when it was compared to alpha-tocopherol,alpha-tocopheryl acetate and alpha-tocopheryl nicotinate for inducingdifferentiation, inhibiting proliferation and encouraging apoptosis of cancercells, according to researchers from the University of Colorado Health SciencesCenter. They published a research review of alpha-tocopheryl succinate in theApril issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (22,2:108-17, 2003) (www.jacn.org), noting severalin vitro and animal studies from the last 20 years have confirmed thisobservation. "The most exciting aspect of this alpha-tocopheryl succinateeffect is that it does not affect the proliferation of most normal cells,"the researchers wrote. They added that in spite of promising research in therealm of anti-cancer properties, the value of the specific form of vitamin E hasnot drawn significant attention, and more research is needed for its potentialrole in cancer management. Researchers concluded, "alpha-tocopherylsuccinate alone or in combination with dietary micronutrients can be useful asan adjunct to standard cancer therapy by increasing tumor response and possiblydecreasing some of the toxicities to normal cells."