|
VITAMIN E: -
THE ANTIOXIDANT SERIES
by Lynn Hinderliter CN, LDN |
The part of the vitamin E considered most active
is D alpha tocopherol, (sometimes spelt tocopheryl), and since
Vitamin E can be quite expensive, here is a way to tell what you are
buying - bear in mind that synthetic Vitamin E can have as little as
half the activity in the body!
| It is legal for a supplement
manufacturer to label their product "natural Vitamin E", and have as
little as 10% of the natural and 90% synthetic. Make sure,
therefore, that the label reads "contains only 100% natural
vitamin E as d-alpha tocopherol", or wording very similar to that.
|
Dl -Tocopheryl (or -ol) is the synthetic form, and
a Nov. 98 review of more than 30 published studies determined that
natural Vitamin E is superior to synthetic. Dr. Acuff, PhD, who led
the study, reported " not only is there a chemical difference in the
structure of the molecules, but research shows a significant
difference in how people assimilate and retain natural and synthetic
E" (Vitamin Retailer Jan 99 p.20)
| This debate has, to my mind, been put
to rest now in 2000 with a report released by the National
Academy of Sciences, which recognizes that natural vitamin E is
twice as potent as synthetic. |
Synthetic E, which is almost
always manufactured from a petrochemical base, contains some
molecules which the body does not recognize as vitamin E - I have to
wonder what it DOES recognize them as, and what their ultimate fate
is!
What is an anti-oxidant?
If we think of stress and aging as causing our bodies to rust, then
anti-oxidants are the substances that protect us against this
process. Many scientists believe that rust-causing oxidative free
radicals, and the damage they cause, contribute to the chronic
diseases of aging, and to the eventual death of the cells, the basic
units of our body.
Two of the basic functions of Vitamin E are to
improve oxygen transport, and protect cells from damage from rancid
fats. You will sometimes see it used, in fact , as an additive to
other oils to keep them from going rancid. These very important
functions account for the fact that vitamin E deficiencies are
implicated in a number of health conditions, from the biggies like
cardiovascular disease, Parkinson's, muscular dystrophy and
rheumatoid arthritis, to more minor problems like leg cramps, and
fibrocystic breast disease .
The major food sources of vitamin E do
not figure very high on the list of most American's daily foods:
they are cold-pressed vegetable oils, particularly wheat germ oil
and soy oil, raw or sprouted seeds, nuts and grains (especially
wheat), fresh wheat germ, green leafy vegetables, eggs and legumes.
However, even large amounts of these foods provide minimal amounts
of vitamin E, in the 15 to 20 i.u. range, and this can be put in
perspective when you realize that the most conservative recent study
to show a heart protective effect from Vitamin E used 100 i.u per
day, and that some experts are now mentioning daily doses of 400 to
1200 i.u., depending on the severity of the problem being addressed.
|
Bear in mind that recent studies show pretty
conclusively that Vitamin E taken on an empty stomach is not well
absorbed:
it is best taken with starchy foods.
|
For example, a University of Texas Med. Center
study looked at reducing the risk of premature hardening of the
arteries in diabetics: this was an eight week randomized study using
28 patients and a daily dose of 1200 i.u. At the end of this study,
those who had received the E had significant reductions of oxidized
LDL (the bad cholesterol) which the scientists consider to play a
part in the development of atherosclerosis. They concluded that the
healthy heart benefits of Vitamin E can be extended to patients with
diabetes.
The CHAOS (Cambridge Heart Antioxidant Study) in
England set out to test whether patients who already suffered from
heart disease would benefit from E supplementation. They followed
2002 high risk patients for 18 months, during which time they all
took their regular medication, but half the group took either 400 or
800 i.u of E, the other half a placebo. At the end of the study,
those patients who had received the vitamin E had only one fourth
the number of non-fatal heart attacks of the placebo group, and in
fact the researchers considered them at no greater risk from heart
disease than people who had never had a history of heart problems!
A recent study seems to suggest the Vitamin E has
no benefit for heart problems; it is getting Man Bites Dog
status: it is news only because it goes against the findings of
every other study done. I shall be watching with interest to see
what transpires as experts analyze this study!
The latest news about Vitamin E, is, of course, the study
that purports to show that people using Vitamin E have a higher risk
of mortality. As usual, the media in their rush to sensationalize
rather than report, failed to check with other authorities to see
how valid the study might be.
The Linus Pauling comments on the study.
Here is the commentary from the NNFA,
the National Nutritional Foods Association:
Vitamin E Study Questioned by
NNFA
Despite the literally thousands of
studies on vitamin E, many confirming its positive
effects on cardiovascular health and other conditions,
an article published today in the Annals of
Internal Medicine that studied just a handful
suggests that “high-dose” vitamin E (400 international
units (IU) or more) is associated with a greater risk
of dying.
Although the researchers themselves
acknowledged the limitations of their study when
applied to most healthy people, they have nevertheless
called for a reduction in U.S. dietary guidelines for
vitamin E, which currently recommend an upper limit of
1,500 IU.
The research, which analyzed
clinical trial data from 19 studies, focused on nine
that involved dosages of vitamin E over 400 IU. Most
of the patients in the studies were over 60-years of
age and had chronic health conditions, such as heart
disease and Alzheimer's. The reported increased risk
of deaths associated with higher doses of vitamin E
was only slightly higher than the risk among those not
taking the supplement. The studies reviewed, some of
which were more than 10 years old, were of varying
quality and contained a wide range of dosages.
“This is arm chair science at its
worst,” said David Seckman, NNFA's executive director
and CEO. “Researchers are well aware that casting
doubt on any product that has had overwhelmingly
positive findings is a formula for getting noticed.
Unfortunately, many in the press are all too willing
to lend credence to research that is not conclusive.”
For more information on vitamin E,
including its health benefits, clinical applications
and other science-based findings, go to:
www.supplementinfo.org
|
In a November 11th posting from the Council
for Responsible Nutrition: “-- A researcher
disputes a study about the possible heart risks posed by
vitamin E, one of the most popular antioxidant vitamins. Dr.
Jeffrey Blumberg said Thursday, the day after the release of
a Johns Hopkins vitamin E study, that the Hopkins research
looked at people already at high risk of death and that
can't be used to determine what's good for healthy people.
The Hopkins study found that people taking high doses of
vitamin E actually had an overall death rate up to 6 percent
higher than those not taking the vitamin. |
"These investigators selected 19 specific studies
to analyze. In doing so, they also selected not to employ a vast
number of studies that show no harm from vitamin E and a great
deal of benefit," said Blumberg, who is the associate director
of Tufts University's
Human
Nutrition Research Center on Aging.
|
It is not mentioned in any of these commentaries
that some of the studies were based on the use of Multivitamins
containing E, and probably utilized synthetic E. The Alliance for
Natural Health, a British lobbying organization, said in a press
release, "The authors of the study make no mention of the good body
of evidence that shows that synthetic forms of vitamin E, or
purified natural forms that are limited to a-tocopherol, have the
ability to reduce the body's absorption of other forms of vitamin E,
which are much more powerful antioxidants."
| I do feel that it would be wise for current
smokers to limit their use of Vitamin E; there are now
several studies suggesting that it may be deleterious under
those conditions. |
Other health conditions that have been linked to
vitamin E deficiencies are: gallstones, anemia, some cancers, acne,
Lou Gehrig's disease, Alzheimer's disease, cataracts and viral
infections. There is also evidence to suggest that pre-eclampsia of
pregnancy is linked to Vitamin E deficiency, and can be helped by
raising levels of E. Some of the wonderful things vitamin E appears
to do for us: protect the lungs against pollutants, increase energy,
fight aging by protecting the cells, prevent scar formation , help
ensure a healthy pregnancy, and accelerate the healing of burns. No
wonder health professionals, to include most medical Doctors, have
taken vitamin E for years; it has no known adverse effects (although
it should be started gradually in cases of high blood pressure) and
many, many benefits .
Combined with some other basic nutrients such as B1,
B2, Selenium etc, Vitamin E has the strange property of lowering C
Reactive Protein (a marker of inflammti0on and accepted indicator of
future heart problems) in women, but not in men. The German study (Eur
J Clin Nutr, 2007 Feb 21)stated "After adjusting for confounders,
vitamin E intake was associated with a 43% reduced risk for elevated CRP
levels (> 3.0 mg/l) in women."
Vitamin E is actually made up of 8 tocopherols,
named after the first 8 letters of the Greek alphabet and there are
those who prefer to use a Vitamin E which has all of them present,
usually labeled "mixed tocopherols". Much research is now being
focused on new cousins of Vitamin E called tocotrienols, of which 4
have been isolated, called alpha, beta, gamma & delta -also after
letters of the Greek alphabet. The most common sources of
tocopherols are corn, soy and olive oils, and the tocotrienols are
found predominantly in rice, barley and palm oils. Incidentally, the
"tri" is pronounced as in tricycle.
Much of the research on tocotrienols has focused
on their antioxidant abilities in their capacity as cholesterol
lowerers. In one double blind cross-over study, serum concentrations
of cholesterol decreased by an astonishing 31% in some of the study
subjects in the short period of four weeks. Many of the major
medications used to control cholesterol work by suppressing the
liver's ability to manufacture the substance, and therefore some of
their most serious side-effects are connected with damage to the
liver. It appears that the pathway by which tocotrienols control
cholesterol has to do with suppressing an enzyme called HMG-CoA
reductase, and therefore they also suppress the liver's cholesterol
manufacturing rate, but fortunately without any of the accompanying
side effects. In line with its ability to minimize a risk factor for
heart disease, there is also some work that shows tocotrienols
decrease the possibility of stroke by having an effect on
thromboxane levels in the blood: a lowering in humans of from 20 to
26% was demonstrated, and also a decrease in platelet aggregation.
Tocotrienols are very successful at moderating existing high levels
of cholesterol, according to some practitioners who use it to rid
the body of circulating high levels, then add Red Yeast extracts to
ensure continued low levels.
Other studies have suggested a protective effect
against atherosclerosis by virtue of tocotrienols' antioxidant
properties: damage from free radicals in the walls of the arteries
is the end stage of the disease. A study at the Kenneth L. Jordan
Heart Fund in 1993 showed that tocotrienols significantly decreased
plasma cholesterol, LDLs and VLDLs - all the baddies, in fact.
The November 1999 issue of the Clin. Exp.
Hypertension published the results of an animal study that
found a 3 month period of supplementing with tocotrienols effective
not only in reducing lipid peroxides in the plasma and blood
vessels, but also in reducing blood pressure.
One reason they may be so effective is that
tocotrienols have the capability of penetrating lipid membranes,
which means they can operate effectively in organs with fatty
layers, like the brain and the liver. In fact, some research being
done on the role of tocotrienols in liver and breast cancer suggests
a highly protective role for it, even to the extent of limiting the
damage where a chemical agent was introduced in test animals to
bring about a cancer. Part of a molecule's antioxidant function is
to prevent damage to DNA, and protect against cellular damage.
Some anti-tumor effect has been shown in
tocotrienols, they appear to slow the growth of breast cancer (Vit.
Ret Mar 99 32-33) in laboratory and animal tests, an effect
attributed to their ability to regulate cell growth. Another study
showed possible benefits for the treatment of liver
cancer. Research done in Austin, Texas (Nutrition & Cancer
1999;33:26-32) showed that tocotrienols induce apoptosis, a fancy
word for programmed cell death, and an important factor in limiting
the deadly explosive growth of cancer cells.
Both tocopherols and tocotrienols have important
roles to play in protecting our health, and those of us who are
taking one might also be considering the benefits of adding the
other: it is obvious they both play a significant part in disease
prevention.
| Keywords:
vitamin e heart health, vitamin e energy. vitamin e natural
versus synthetic, vitamin e parkinsons, vitamin e osygen,
vitamin e cramps, vitamin e with food, vitamin e composition,
vitamin e lungs, the vitamin lady writes about vitamin e
importance health |
|
Links of interest
These are NOT sponsored/paid links,
but provided for you as being relevant to your search.
|
Some links have a finite
life - if you find one that is no longer applicable -try a
Google search for the keywords. I would also appreciate it if
you would let me know!
Questions /
comments for me?
vitaminlady@vitaminlady.com
Make sure your
e-mail is set to receive my reply!
|
| |
Vitamin E best absorbed when taken with food.
Related articles you may
find interesting:
|
