Vitamin E Unnecessary for Healthy Folk?

Vitamin E Unnecessary for Healthy Folk?

PHILADELPHIA--In a study appearing in the March 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (285, 9:1178-82, 2001), researchers questioned the need for vitamin E supplementation in healthy individuals. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted between March 1999 and June 2000, 30 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 60 were randomly assigned either a placebo or vitamin E in dosages of 200, 400, 800, 1,200 or 2,000 IU/d for a period of eight weeks followed by an eight-week washout period. The researchers, led by Emma Meagher, M.D., from the University of Pennsylvania, found that there were no significant effects shown between vitamin E and lipid peroxidation levels, although blood levels of the vitamin increased after intake. Markers for lipid oxidation were noted through urine samples.

However, many studies have found vitamin E to be an effective therapeutic treatment in subjects with cardiovascular disease. As far as being a preventive treatment, vitamin E supplementation has shown promise in the fight against cognitive decline. In the meantime, researchers noted that more clinical trials need to be conducted to look at oxidative stress factors and dose-dependent relationships. For additional information, visit www.ama-assn.org.