Potent Antioxidant Vitamin-E

By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Medicine

For the past year, a controversy has been brewing over, of all things, the benefits of antioxidants. It all started with a very biased study by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. In the study, the researchers compiled data from seven clinical trials measuring the effectiveness of supplemental vitamin E in patients with established heart disease. After analyzing all of the information, the Cleveland team came to the surprising conclusion that vitamin E supplements weren’t beneficial for cardiovascular disease or, for that matter, stroke. The message this study sent was clear: Don’t bother taking supplemental vitamin E – no matter who you are.

A Closer Look

Of course, this particular study grabbed headlines the minute it was published. What these “news” stories didn’t mention, however, were the hundreds of studies showing that vitamin E does indeed have a very positive impact on heart disease.

If you’ve suffered a heart attack, vitamin E can reduce your risk of having another one. The Cambridge Heart Antioxidant Study (CHAOS) tested the effects of high daily doses of vitamin E (400 to 800 IU) on subsequent cardiovascular events in patients who already showed evidence of coronary atherosclerosis. On the basis of the combined results for the two dose levels, risks of heart attack and all cardiovascular events were reduced by 77 percent and 47 percent respectively.

Vitamin E also reduces the risk of developing heart disease in the first place – something the Cleveland study didn’t even consider. One large clinical trial – the Nurse’s Health Study – found that, of more than 87,000 participants, those who consumed the most vitamin E had the least risk of heart disease. What’s more, the authors noted that lower risk was associated with levels of vitamin E attainable only through supplementation.

In another clinical trial, conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, diabetic patients with high CRP levels were given 1,200 IU of vitamin E a day. By the end of the three-month trial, the Texas team found significant decreases in CRP and suggested that vitamin E could be an effective therapy in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Now, admittedly, this is more vitamin E than most of us consume on a daily basis. But it does show that vitamin E can mitigate many of the factors that cause heart disease. But, vitamin E’s health benefits go far beyond the heart. This potent antioxidant also lowers the risk of other life-threatening diseases. Here are just a few examples:

New research by the University of Pennsylvania shows that vitamin E helps reduce oxidative stress within the brain that leads to Alzheimer’s disease. Other studies have found that the antioxidant can slow Alzheimer’s progression.

A study of more than 29,000 men by the National Cancer Institute found that vitamin E reduces the risk of colorectal cancer. But its effects don’t stop with prevention. A small trial by Swedish researchers found that boosting vitamin E helps to improve immune function in patients with advanced colorectal cancer – making it an effective addition to conventional treatment.

At a recent meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, a team from the University of Texas presented a study that included more than 1,000 subjects, nearly half of whom had bladder cancer. Results showed that a high intake of vitamin E reduced the risk of bladder cancer by almost 45 percent when dietary sources of the vitamin were combined with vitamin E supplements.

Evidence presented at the American Association of Cancer Research annual meeting in Orlando clearly shows that vitamin E can cut the risk of prostate cancer by more than half. Scientists from the National Cancer Institute looked at 100 men with prostate cancer and 200 healthy controls. While those who had the higher serum levels of vitamin E had the lowest risk, the type of vitamin E had a major impact. Men with the highest natural levels of alpha tocopherol were 53 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer. Men with the highest levels of gamma tocopherol, which only represents about 20 percent of the vitamin E in blood, had a 39 percent lower risk.

The Secret Ingredient

As you can see from the prostate study, not all vitamin E is created equal. A fat-soluble nutrient, vitamin E contains eight elements: Four tocopherols and four toco­trienols. Yet most supplements only focus on the tocopherols – particularly alpha-tocopherol. But, while tocopherols are important, toco­trienols may be the real workhorses that give vitamin E its well founded reputation, especially when it comes to heart disease. A good example of how tocotrienols help reduce the risk of heart disease was recently highlighted by a study at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The researchers found that tocotrienols prevented "sticki­ness" in blood vessel cells, reducing the likelihood of clogged arteries. And, in an animal study from Switzerland, scientists found that tocotrienols lowered both total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Tocotrienols may also be responsible for vitamin E’s ability to combat cancer – especially breast cancer – by preventing cell growth and encouraging cell death. Maybe it is not a coincidence that tocotrienol levels in breast tissue are five to 10 times higher than levels found in the blood. New research shows that tocotrienols can also help ward off other age-related ailments. Scientists at the Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, for instance, found that alpha-tocotrienol shielded brain cells from damage and death. And, in a study from Malaysia, animals treated with a form of vitamin E derived from tocotrienol-rich palm oil had lower blood sugar and fewer signs of damage due to free radical oxidation than those treated with vitamin C.

One Last Thing ...

Fortunately, some manufacturers are beginning to include both tocopherols and tocotrienols in their vitamin E supplements. And these mixed supplements are proving to be superstars. But, before you rush out to the health food store in search of these complete vitamin E supplements, there are a couple of things you need to know. First, they cost more. But it’s an expense that, in my opinion, is well worth it. Second, when it comes to mixed tocotrienols/tocopherols, you don’t need to take as much. In fact, instead of the standard dose of 400 IU of vitamin E that most drugstore brands recommend, you only need to take 100 to 200 IU of the mixed tocotrienols/tocopherols daily.

One word of warning, however. Antibiotics and cholesterol-lowering drugs can interfere with the absorption of tocotrienols, so avoid taking them at the same time. For those who think that “more is better,” you also need to know that taking high doses of total vitamin E products (in excess of 1,200 IU daily) may interfere with absorption and metabolism of vitamins A and K – and should never be done unless you are under a doctor’s supervision. And if you are taking anti-clotting medication, consult with your doctor before taking any form of vitamin E.

This Just In ...

As the saying goes, “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.” And that’s especially true when it comes to preventing prostate cancer. While both the alpha and gamma tocopherols in a mixed vitamin E supplement can help ward off the disease, there’s something else you can do to lower your risk. New findings from Harvard Medical School show that supplementing with selenium can help protect against advanced prostate cancer. The Harvard team analyzed data from men enrolled in the Physicians' Health Study and found that those with the highest selenium levels were 48 percent less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer than men with the lowest levels. Of course, this isn’t the first time selenium has been found to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. But it is one of the first studies that show how the mineral can prevent early-stage prostate cancer from becoming deadly. So what are you waiting for? Whether you are trying to prevent prostate cancer or you’ve been diagnosed with the disease and want to slow its spread, selenium should be an important part of your supplement regime. Another bonus? Selenium boosts the effectiveness of vitamin E, so make sure you take the supplements together for super protection.

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References:

Devaraj S, et al. “Alpha tocopherol supplementation decreases serum C-reactive protein and monocyte interleukin-6 levels in normal volunteers and type 2 diabetic patients.” Free Radical Biology & Medicine. 2000; 29:790-792.

"Intake of Vitamin E (2-R Isomers of Alpha-Tocopherol) and Gamma-Tocopherol in a Case-Control Study and Bladder Cancer Risk." American Association for Cancer Research, 95th Annual Meeting. Abstract No. 3921. 28 March 2004.

Li H, et al. “A Prospective Study of Plasma Selenium Levels and Prostate Cancer Risk.” Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2004;96:696-703.

Sung S, et al. “Early vitamin E supplementation in young but not aged mice reduces Abeta levels and amyloid deposition in a transgenic model of Alzheimer’s disease.” FASEB Journal. 2004;18:323-325.

“Vitamin Fights Prostate Cancer.” LEF. 4 May 2004.