More on the many benefits of vitamin E

Improves Immune Function

Improves Brain Function

Protects Heart Health

Protects Eyes and Lungs

Protects Against Some Cancers

Benefical to Serious Athletes and You, Too

A randomized, double-blind, multicenter study involving 341 patients revealed that treatment with vitamin E or with selegiline delayed progression of the Alzheimer's, including "delays in the deterioration of the performance of activities of daily living and the need for care." During the two-year study, patients received a monoamine oxidase inhibitor called selegiline, 2000 IU per day of vitamin E, both treatments, or a placebo. According to the authors of this study, "there is evidence that medications or vitamins that increase the levels of brain catecholamines and protect against oxidative damage may reduce the neuronal damage and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease." Read the abstract on the New England Journal of Medicine website.

In a longterm study of more than 3000 Japanese-American men over 70 years of age living in Hawaii, researchers found that the use of vitamin C and vitamin E supplements significantly reduced the risk of dementia. In those without dementia, use of vitamin C or vitamin E supplements was associated with improved cognitive function. Read the abstract in the journal, Neurology, online.

There is evidence to suggest that oxidative stress plays a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, and there is clear evidence of oxidative damage in the brains of patients with the disease. A clinical trial of vitamin E and selegiline in patients with moderate Alzheimer’s disease showed that these treatments slowed the rate of functional decline to a significant degree. The results raise the question whether vitamin E might also delay the decline in patients with milder cases of Alzheimer’s disease, "and whether it may prevent dementia in elderly individuals who are minimally or not yet cognitively impaired." The Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study has initiated an additional trial to determine whether vitamin E can prevent or delay development of Alzheimer’s disease in patients with mild cognitive impairment. Read the abstract on the Journal of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrtition website.

The July 1, 2004 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine included antioxidant supplements in a review of therapies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The review noted that studies have shown the most widely administered antioxidant therapy, which uses vitamin E with the drug selegiline, can help delay placement in a nursing home, the development of severe dementia, and death, better than a placebo. The review states that many doctors have added daily supplementation of 2000 IU of vitamin E to their standard Alzheimer’s treatment because of the study results. Also noted in the review were results showing that a combination of vitamin E with a cholinesterase inhibitor was safe and beneficial. Overall, the review article indicates that there is strong evidence that vitamin E and vitamin C can play a role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, ginkgo biloba was mentioned as having statistically significant results compared with placebo, and it was noted that a primary-prevention trial testing the efficacy of ginkgo in reducing the rate of Alzheimer’s disease development is underway. Read an extract on the New England Journal of Medicine site.

This information on the benefits of vitamin E is also found in the CRN Publication, The Benefits of Nutritional Supplements, compiled by Annette Dickinson, Ph.D. Find out more about this publication