Issue date:
September 5-7

[ Eat Smart Archive ]

Vitamin E: Take it to heart

New research shows this nutrient, already touted for healthy hearts, may pump up aging brains and weak immune systems.

How it helps you

Brain Food? Scientists have long speculated that vitamin E can help forestall age-related degenerative brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Now that is supported by a new study of 341 people with moderately severe Alzheimer's disease. Mary Sano, Ph.D., of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, found that 2,000 IU daily of synthetic vitamin E slowed the progression of Alzheimer's by six or seven months, about 30 percent in a two-year period.

"Vitamin E delayed the point at which patients became severely demented," Sano says. Thus, they could care for themselves longer at home. In the two-year study, only 26 percent of the vitamin E takers had to enter institutions or nursing homes, vs. 39 percent on a dummy pill and 33 percent on the pharmaceutical drug selegiline. Vitamin E's antioxidant powers probably block the destruction of brain cells by free radicals, rampaging bodily chemicals that increase with age.

Can vitamin E prevent Alzheimer's disease and mental decline due to aging? More research is needed, Sano says.

Immunity Booster. Vitamin E supplements help rejuvenate sluggish immune functioning in older people, according to new tests by Simin Meydani at Tufts University. In 88 healthy people 65 or older, taking 200 milligrams of vitamin E every day for eight months dramatically boosted immune functioning and cut infections by 30 percent.

Specifically, these people, when injected with hepatitis B vaccine, had a sixfold jump in antibody production, an indication of strengthened ability to fight infection. Their responses on another test of immunity (delayed-type hypersensitivity) rose 65 percent, compared with 17 percent for those taking a "sugar" pill. Immune responses typically decline in the elderly, making them more susceptible to disease and death, Meydani says. Vitamin E stimulates the function of all-important T-cells, the warriors of the immune system, she says. Best dose tested: 200mg or 200 IU.

In previous research, Meydani found vitamin E boosted immune activity in younger men, but she says it is much more important for the elderly.

Heart Protector. Numerous studies have linked increased vitamin E intake with less heart disease. Primarily, vitamin E discourages the buildup of plaque on artery walls and the formation of blood clots that trigger heart attacks and strokes.

The evidence is impressive. Two Harvard studies of about 135,000 health professionals found that those who reported taking more than 100 IU of vitamin E daily had one-fourth to one-third the risk of heart attack. Most convincing is a study at England's Cambridge University of 2,000 patients with heart disease. Half of the group took 400 or 800 IU of vitamin E or a dummy pill every day for 18 months. The vitamin reduced the incidence of non-fatal heart attacks by an astonishing 77 percent. Investigators pronounced vitamin E more effective than aspirin or cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Vitamin E helps keep arteries clear, experts believe, by blocking toxic changes in bad-type LDL cholesterol so it cannot invade artery walls and accumulate debris or plaque.

How to use it

How Much? To boost immunity in older people, Tufts researchers favor 200mg of vitamin E. Ishwarlal Jialal, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, finds that 400 IU daily is required to help keep arteries from clogging. In the Cambridge University study, 400 IU was as good as 800 IU in deterring heart attacks. Among researchers and physicians, the typical daily supplement dose is 400 IU.

What Kind? Vitamin E supplements are labeled as synthetic (dl-alpha-tocopherol) or natural (d-alpha-tocopherol). Both have worked in various studies. Synthetic E was used in the research on Alzheimer's and immunity; natural E was used in the Cambridge heart study. Studies show that both types help block artery-clogging changes in bad LDL cholesterol.

False Alarm: Recent reports in the media suggesting that the most common E supplement -- alpha tocopherol -- is dangerous are wrong, say the University of California scientists who did the study. "We were misquoted," says lead researcher Bruce Ames. The study merely found that a different form of E, gamma-tocopherol, also has health merit as an antioxidant.

Safety: Vitamin E doses as large as 3,200 IU daily have caused few side effects. People with Alzheimer's disease or bleeding problems, and those on anticoagulant drugs, should check first with a doctor.

Scientific sources for "Vitamin E."

Great fall salads

It's impossible to get disease-fighting or disease-preventing amounts of vitamin E in your diet. Take a pill. But it never hurts to sneak vitamin E sources, such as almonds and olive or canola oils, into your diet. Try these salads.

1 garlic clove, crushed

Combine all vegetables. Whisk together dressing. Toss together; serve immediately. Serves 4.

Per serving: 169 calories, 2.1g protein, 15g fat (1.8g saturated), 2g fiber, 8.4g carbohydrates, 139mg sodium.

1/4 cup currants or raisins

Sauté onion in olive oil. Simmer or microwave carrots in orange juice till tender. Combine all; serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.

Per serving: 316 calories, 10g protein, 8.7g fat (0.8g saturated), 53g carbohydrates, 10g fiber, 159mg sodium.

Jean Carper's current best-selling book is Miracle Cures.

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