A Natural Antioxidant

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, present in many foods, and for which deficiencies are rare, even though the body cannot manufacture its own Vitamin E.  Good sources of vitamin E abound -- in polyunsaturated oils, wheat germ, seeds, nut, and vegetables. So why all the fuss about Vitamin E?

As one of the most researched vitamins around, there are as many claims as counter-claims.  One thing is clear: Vitamin E's major job is as a chain-breaking antioxidant, which prevents the formation of free radicals.  O-k, you're reading about supplements, so you know that these critters are bad, but why?

Free radicals possess an unpaired electron in the outer shell of a molecule.  This makes them highly reactive with most molecules in the vicinity -- lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and even DNA!  Free radicals have an ultra short half-life, so they  attack the nearest stable molecule, "stealing" its electron. When the "attacked" molecule loses its electron, it becomes a free radical itself, beginning a chain reaction! Once the process is started, it can cascade, resulting in cellular chaos!

Antioxidants like Vitamin E protect the body from damaging oxidation reactions by reacting directly with free radicals.  A combination of alpha, beta, delta, and gamma tocopherols has been shown to be the most effective, as well as the most expensive source of Vitamin E.  However, of all these, d-alpha-tocopherol has the highest biopotency, and its activity is the standard against which all the others must be compared.

Good for Overall Health

Research strongly supports the role of vitamin E in maintaining healthy cardiovascular,  eye, lung, prostate, cognitive, and immune system functioning.  Vitamin E also shows considerable promise in protecting against a variety of cancers, including skin, liver, lung, oral cavity, esophagus and colon. Evidence is also accumulating that Vitamin E might function to slow the process of aging.

Studies:

• Jiang Q, Christen S, Shigenaga MK, Ames BN. Gamma-tocopherol, the major form of vitamin E in the US diet, deserves more attention. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Dec;74(6):714-22.
• Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group.  A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss. Arch Ophthalmol. 2001 Oct;119(10):1417-36.
•  Jacobs EJ, Henion AK, Briggs PJ, Connell CJ, McCullough ML, Jonas CR, Rodriguez C, Calle EE, Thun MJ. Vitamin C and vitamin E supplement use and bladder cancer mortality in a large cohort of US men and women. Am J Epidemiol. 2002 Dec 1;156(11):1002-10.
• Masaki KH, Losonczy KG, Izmirlian G, Foley DJ, Ross GW, Petrovitch H, Havlik R, White LR. Association of vitamin E and C supplement use with cognitive function and dementia in elderly men. Neurology. 2000 Mar 28;54(6):1265-72.

Notes:

1. Use of more than 400 I.U. of Vitamin E per day with the drug warfarin may be contraindicated.  Check with your physician.