Benefits of Vitamin E in question.
Is the recent interest in vitamin E justified? The facts about
vitamin E are still being discussed.
Although taking vitamin supplements is generally a daily routine
with most people, the benefits of vitamin E in the human body is
not clearly established, but it is known to be an essential
nutrient in more than 20 vertebrate species. The vitamin plays
some role in forming red blood cells and muscle and other
tissues and in preventing the oxidation of vitamin A and fats.
It is found in vegetable oils, wheat germ, liver, and leafy
green vegetables. Vitamin E is popularly advocated for a wide
range of diseases, but no substantial evidence has been found to
back these claims. In fact, recently there have been conflicting
reports regarding the benefit of vitamin E. Although vitamin E
is stored in the body, overdoses appear to have lower toxic
effects than do overdoses of other fat-soluble vitamins. The
benefits of vitamin e supplements have been widely discussed and
there are various opinions as to it efficacy; however, it has
been noted that in low doses it does not seem have a detrimental
effect.
Even the finest public health and medical services are of
limited value to people who have poor health habits. Numerous
studies have proven that physical health and longevity are
linked to the following: eating a balanced diet, maintaining
proper weight, exercising regularly, using condoms and limiting
the number of sexual partners, avoiding tobacco, and avoiding
alcohol or consuming it in moderation. People who fail to follow
these guidelines increase their risk of cardiovascular disease,
cancer, AIDS, hepatitis, and other lethal diseases.
The benefits of vitamin E should be discussed with your personal
doctor. There have been so many conflicting research results
published lately that it makes it very difficult to determine
the best course of action for each particular individual.
Another report indicated that the effect of low-dose supplements
lowered the risk of death by less than 1%, while high dosages
contributed to death. As with all supplements (unless otherwise
indicated by your physician), moderation is always preferable.
In an article in the July 6 JAMA, I-Min Lee, M.B.B.S., Sc.D., of
Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston,
and colleagues analyzed data from the vitamin E component of the
Women's Health Study, which tested whether vitamin E
supplementation decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease and
cancer among healthy women. The researchers found with the
vitamin E group, there was no significant effect on major
cardiovascular events, on the incidences of heart attack or
stroke, as well as ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. For
cardiovascular death, there was a 24 percent reduction. There
was no significant effect on the incidences of total cancer or
breast, lung, or colon cancers. Cancer deaths also did not
differ significantly between groups. There was no significant
effect of vitamin E on total death although some research shows
that large doses do indeed have a detrimental effect.
Online merchants that specialize in vitamin supplements can
assist you in determining your needs. However, when considering
the facts about vitamin E (as with all other supplements), it is
wise to first discuss the matter with your own doctor. Once it
has been determined that you should take a particular vitamin or
many vitamin supplements, you should consider all the online
sources for nutritional supplements. The prices are much more
competitive than at typical retail stores and they offer the
same guarantees.