TEMPO.CO, Seattle - Scientists have found that high dose of Vitamin E or selenium supplements are giving no health benefit for men. Instead, such supplements are increasing the risk of prostate cancer up to five times. The research was published on the latest Journal of National Cancer Institute.

Natural Vitamin E which can be found in beans, spinach and broccoli, is beneficial to increase immunity. Meanwhile, selenium in fish and meats are good to prevent heart attack. But US researchers claim large doses of both can increase the risk of prostate cancer by 17 percent.

The study involves more than 35,000 healthy men in their 50s and older, in the initial trial which began in 2001. The trial was initially carried out to test whether extra vitamin E and selenium could help prevent prostate cancer. Instead, researchers discovered more cases of prostate cancer among men taking 400 international units (IU) of vitamin E daily than those taking a placebo.

"Many people think dietary supplements are helpful or at the least, innocuous. This is not true," said Lead researcher Alan Kristal as quoted by Mail Online.

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