DSEA Survey Raises Concerns on Vitamin E Study

DSEA Survey Raises Concerns on Vitamin E Study

WASHINGTONA national pollcommissioned by the Dietary Supplement Information Bureau (DSIB), a part of theDietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA), found one in 10 American adults isless likely to take a dietary supplement as a result of the negative study aboutvitamin E published in November. Pollsters also found 18 percent of respondentswere less likely to take vitamin E after reading reports about the study, whichconcluded high doses of vitamin E could increase the risk of all-cause mortalityamong older, high-risk patients.

Elliott Balbert, DSEA president, said the vitamin E studyproduced an avalanche of misinformation that may put consumers at a healthrisk. Numerous scientific studies have shown that Americans,especially seniors, should take vitamin E supplements to combat cardiovasculardisease, he stated.

In a statement released by DSIB, eminent members of thescientific community also expressed concern about the potential impact the studycould have on American health. Barbara Levine, Ph.D., associate professor ofnutrition in medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, was quotedas saying, Vitamin E is such an important antioxidant. If consumers basetheir lifestyles on this inconclusive meta-analysis, we could see an increasedrisk of cardiovascular disease, cancers and age-related macular degeneration inan otherwise healthy population.

Another authority on nutrition, C. Wayne Callaway, M.D., saidin the same statement, One study does not outweigh the many studies thatdocument the benefits of vitamin E in people who need it and the lack of harm inpeople who do not.

In response to the study, DSEA launched a Web site(www.vitaminEfacts.org) to provide consumers with up-to-date information aboutthe role of vitamin E in human health.