Vitamin E Called Essential Nutrient Worthy of Further Research at High Doses
—Diet Alone Rarely Provides Recommended Intake—

NEW YORK, January 27, 2005 — During her opening presentation today at Vitamin E Impact on Health and Disease, a health and science writers’ workshop held at the New York Academy of Sciences and sponsored by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), Annette Dickinson, Ph.D., president, CRN, told reporters that vitamin E is "an essential nutrient worthy of on-going clinical research studying its benefit at high doses."

According to Dr. Dickinson, in addition to numerous completed research studies which have shown vitamin E to have protective benefit at a wide range of doses in a number of different areas, such as immune function, eye health, specific cancers, Alzheimer’s, and heart health, a number of on-going clinical trials have potential to show further promise in these areas and demonstrate the researchers’ confidence in the safety of vitamin E at intake levels of 400 IU and above.

For example, The Physicians’ Health Study being conducted by researchers at Harvard University involves more than 14,000 U.S. doctors, examining the effect of 400 IU of vitamin E, taken on alternate days, for preventing cardiovascular disease, prostate and colon cancer, eye disease and cognitive decline.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School at Brigham and Women’s Hospital are analyzing the results of 600 IU of vitamin E given on alternate days, for protection against cardiovascular disease, eye disease, and cognitive decline. The study, involving over 39,000 women has recently been completed and the results are currently being analyzed.

Another large clinical trial, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is being conducted in research centers nationwide involving more than 30,000 men, investigating the role of 400 IU of vitamin E (and selenium at 200 mcg) in helping prevent prostate cancer. Treatment of subjects in this long-term trial will be continued through 2013. In a subset of 10,000 men age 60 years and older in this same trial, the effect of vitamin E and selenium in protecting against Alzheimer’s Disease will also be evaluated.

Dr. Dickinson stated, "The fact that these studies and others continue to be conducted demonstrates the confidence these prominent researchers have in not only the potential benefit of vitamin E, but also in the nutrient’s safety at high levels." She further pointed out that the Institute of Medicine (IOM), a scientific advisory body, has concluded that vitamin E is safe for chronic use in the general population at levels up to 1,000 mg (1,000 IU synthetic vitamin E or 1,500 IU natural vitamin E).

CRN believes that supplements provide their greatest benefit when they are used in conjunction with other healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep. However, Dr. Dickinson said, "Diet alone does not always provide enough essential nutrients, and supplements can fill the gaps where there are nutrient shortfalls."

She pointed out this is the case for vitamin E, noting the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 15 mg, an amount that even those with the best food intentions don’t always meet. "For example, in order to meet the RDA, you would need to eat 25 cups of raw spinach (4 cups cooked). If you’re not a spinach lover, almonds offer another choice for food rich in vitamin E. If you wanted to get 200 IU of vitamin E, an amount that has been shown in some trials to have health benefits, you would need to eat approximately 650 almonds. Unfortunately, the 4,500 calories and 390 grams of fat that you’d be getting in that scenario would likely cancel out any potential benefit."

Dr. Dickinson’s best advice when incorporating vitamin E supplements into a nutrition program is to buy from a company or source you know and trust, follow label directions, and share information on the supplements you are taking with your healthcare professional.

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Note to Editor: The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement industry ingredient suppliers and manufacturers. CRN members adhere to a strong code of ethics, comply with dosage limits and manufacture dietary supplements to high quality standards under good manufacturing practices. For more information on CRN, visit http://www.crnusa.org.