New study supports the benefits of Vitamin E

A study published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association's July 6, 2005 edition confirms not only the safety of vitamin E, but also specific heart health benefits for women.

This study, called the Women's Health Study (WHS), is particularly significant since it is the largest and longest single study involving vitamin E ever conducted, involving 40,000 women over a 10-year period. Among the positive findings, WHS showed A 24% reduction in cardiovascular deaths among the entire population of women who took vitamin E supplements over a 10-year period, and a 49% reduction in cardiovascular deaths among the women aged 65 and older who took vitamin E supplements over a 10-year period.

Dr.Andrew Shao, the vice president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition's regulatory and scientific affairs, said the data from this new study clearly shows that vitamin E can help healthy women, especially older women, and that they can expect to derive substantial benefit.

Dr. Maret Traber, a world renowned vitamin E expert, and principal investigator at the Linus Pauling Institute, said the results of the study were exciting, and that vitamin E has clear value in helping to reduce the risk of heart and other serious degenerative diseases, especially for people who smoke, have high blood pressure, or who don't eat properly-habits that can cause inadequate levels of this essential vitamin.

Jamie McManus, M.D., and Chair of Medical Affairs & Education at Shaklee, said the WHS findings are significant for two reasons: 1) The data showed convincingly that taking vitamin E supplements reduces the risk of cardiovascular death even in healthy women indicating that this essential nutrient confers benefits beyond those derived from healthy lifestyles, balanced nutrition and regular exercise; 2) It is now recognized that while heart disease is the number one cause of mortality in both men and women, the signs and symptoms typically occur about ten years later in women versus men. Accordingly, the Women's Health Study demonstrated that the protective effects of vitamin E were most apparent in the age group having the greatest risk; thus in women aged 65 and older, cardiovascular death was reduced by 49% and heart attack by 34% in the group receiving Vitamin E.

"I firmly believe that more studies like this one," said Dr. McManus, "where healthy people are followed over long time periods, will reveal new and important information about the role of nutrition along with the use of supplements in optimizing people's health."

We encourage people to supplement their diets with vitamin E, since the benefits are clear.

Vitamin E is Safe and Effective

There are more than 1,000 studies that support the safe and efficacious use of Vitamin E supplements. Research studies on Vitamin E supplements have linked the antioxidant to numerous health benefits including reduced progression of advanced age-related macular degeneration, reduced occurrence of cataracts, slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease, slower progression of atherosclerosis, lower incidence of non-fatal myocardial infarction, and reduced incidence of upper respiratory infection, to name just a few.

The Council on Responsible Nutrition, Jeffrey Blumberg, Chief of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University and member of the Shaklee Scientific Advisory Board, as well as other experts on Vitamin E affirm its safety and effectiveness. Use supplements as directed on the label. The scientific and clinical data shows well-established benefits of Vitamin E. Supplementation with vitamins, including Vitamin E, makes sense in support of a healthy lifestyle, and for people who desire nutritional insurance for the gaps left unfilled by the typical diet.

For additional expert information about the safety of Vitamin E, see the Council for Responsible Nutrition website at: www.crnusa.org/vitaminEissafe.html

Click here for state of the art whole food Vitamin E supplementation

References supporting vitamin E

1993 - supplementation with vitamin E was associated with a 30-40% reduced risk for coronary disease in a study of 90,000 nurses (Nurses Health Study; NEJM 328:1444-1449)
1993 - total vitamin E intake is inversely related to the risk of colon cancer; those with a highest vitamin E intake had the lowest incidence of colon cancer (Iowa Women's Health Study; Cancer Res:53:4230-4237)
1994 - Levels of vitamin E intake were inversely correlated with coronary deaths in both women and men in a large (>5000 people), long-term (14 year follow-up) Finnish study (Am. J. Epidemiol. 139:1180-1189).
1997 - A review of the literature concerning vitamin E and breast cancer concluded "although epidemiologic study results have been inconsistent, further study of this nontoxic vitamin is warranted." (Nutr. Cancer 27:109-117).
2000 - supplementation with Vitamin E supplementation may prevent ischemic stroke in high risk hypertensive patients (Arch Neurol. 57:1503-1509; analysis of data from the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study)
2004 - protective effect of vitamin E supplementation on upper respiratory tract infections in elderly nursing home residents (JAMA 292:828-836)
2004 - supplementation with vitamins E and C in combination is associated with reduced prevalence and incidence of Alzheimer Disease (Arch. Neurol. 61:82-88; this study is from Johns Hopkins)
FDA - allows qualified health claim regarding "consumption of antioxidants (including Vitamin E) and reduced risk of some forms of cancer."