Vitamin E is
emerging as a health superstar What makes vitamin E so interesting is
that it poses a challenge to the doctrine that we can get all the
nutrients we need solely from a healthful diet. Vitamin E, which
before the 1920s was actually thought to be nonessential for humans,
has been the subject of hundreds of research studies that point to its
ability to help prevent heart disease, cancer, and a host of other
disease complications.
Vitamin E's Many Roles
After more than seven
decades of research, scientists know that vitamin E plays an important
role as an antioxidant, works as an integral part of our immune
,system, and is a key component in the structure of our body's cells.
Vitamin E figures
in the cancer equation too. Population studies make a connection
between low intake of vitamin E and higher risks for certain cancers,
such as those of the prostate and breast. And this important compound
doesn't stop there:
The Heart of the Matter
Vitamin E leaped to
the headlines a few years ago with two major investigations reported
in the New England Journal of Medicine. One study, out of the
Channing Laboratory in Boston, looked at information taken from over
80,000 female nurses, ages 34 to 69. The other, at the Department of
Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, looked at almost 40,000
male health professionals, ages 40 to 75.
All participants
were free of heart disease at the onset. When the volunteers' diets
and vitamin supplement intakes were compared with the development of
disease, those persons with an intake of at least 100 IUs of vitamin E
a day had a 40 percent lower risk for heart disease.
Vitamin E helps
more than just your heart - it protects your body against oxygen. This
may seem strange since oxygen is essential for life, but it turns out
that oxygen has something of a split personality. On the good side,
oxygen helps build cells and power the heart. But on the bad side,
oxygen has a tendency to form compounds that can contribute to the
development of heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative diseases.
This is where vitamin E and other antioxidants come into play: They
all help keep oxidized fat cells in our body from wreaking havoc on
the lining of our arteries.
Supplemental Advice
Key food
sources of vitamin E include wheat germ, sunflower seeds, almonds,
nuts, and nut and grain oils. Lesser amounts of the vitamin are found
in peanuts and vegetables - especially asparagus, kale, spinach, and
yams. Vitamin E is also abundant in fortified cereals and whole-grain
products.
Can you get all the
vitamin E you need from food? In the study reported in the New
England Journal of Medicine, the reduction in heart disease risk
wasn't evident unless individuals took at least 100 IUs of vitamin E
every day. It can be difficult to get that much from food alone, even
if your diet is a paragon of nutrition planning.
The United States
Department of Agriculture's Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) of
12 to 15 IUs were set up to help eliminate diseases of deficiency.
Yet, vitamin E can provide a measure of protection against common
ailments and age-related illnesses--a bonus beyond protecting against
mere deficiency.
If you're not
getting the vitamin E you desire from your diet, you're better to get
it from a pill than not at all. A vitamin E supplement won't make a
poor diet better, but it can be an important ally to have in the
bat-de against heart disease and cancer.
A daily intake of
100 IUs is suggested for disease-preventive benefit.
The Safety Question
Although vitamin E's
apparent powers are noteworthy, it is not a panacea. Also, vitamin E
deficiency is uncommon, occurring predominantly because of
malnutrition or rare genetic conditions.
Toxicity from
vitamin E is also rare. Subjects in studies who took more than 1,500
IUs a day for extended periods of time reported some gastric upset and
nausea, and were at risk for deficiency of vitamins A and K. Also,
overdosing on vitamin E can lead to subtle effects on the way blood
clots.
One 1994 Finnish
study of older males who smoked more than a pack of cigarettes a day
for nearly 40 years indicated that vitamin E may slightly increase
lung cancer risk, but the results were not conclusive. Also, previous
studies revealed that smokers show sharply decreased amounts of
vitamin E in their system. Unfortunately, details from the Finnish
study have been reported out of context over the years creating
confusion about vitamin E's value.
Vitamin E's role as
a major component in the body's cells and as a member of the immune
system's SWAT team helps explain why low levels are associated with
increased disease risk. It also supports the evidence that higher
intakes decrease the risk for many health problems.
So, should we take
vitamin E supplements? Taking 100 to 400 IUs of vitamin E per day in
the form of a supplement might not be such a bad idea. Even amounts
between 400 to 800 IUs per day are still considered safe, although not
recommended. All supplements should be used with caution, as directed,
and according to your physician's advice.
Individuals with
blood coagulation disorders or those taking anti-coagulation
medications should be especially careful with vitamin E supplements.
Consult your health professional if you have any health problems or
questions.
Ed Blonz is a
syndicated columnist and the author of Power Nutrition,
published by Signet (1998). Dr.
Blonz initially studied nutrition at the University of California,
Davis, under DE Harold Olcott, one of the discoverers of vitamin E.
Better Homes and
Gardens, February 1999