Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant and serves to protect the body in a variety of ways including boosting the immune system. Though it is a necessary nutrient, evidence concerning its benefits has been conflicting. The initial studies about Vitamin E found positive results concerning supplementation. Then some studies found conflicting evidence that supplementation with Vitamin E could negatively impact health.
Now a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition this November found a protective effect against death due to a variety of causes in men.
The study gathered information from more than 29,000 men who were greater than 50 and current smokers. Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol, was measured at baseline and then during regular intervals during the follow-up. Then levels of Vitamin E were compared to mortality, or likelihood of death during the next two decades.
Men with the highest levels of Vitamin E in their blood were much less likely to die during the follow-up when compared to those with the lowest levels. Men were more than 20 percent less likely to have died of cancer, and 19 percent less likely to die of heart disease if they had higher levels of Vitamin E.
Interestingly the effect was observed when Vitamin E levels in the blood were about 14 mg/l of blood, a level that is not hard to acheive. The authors believed that levels at this range could be reached through the diet alone, and supplementation may not be necessary.
Levels higher than 14 mg/l of blood did not impose a risk but did not further increase the protective effects.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on December 4, 2006 02:39 PM
