Vitamin E Protects Eyes and
Lungs (Click
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More on the many benefits of vitamin E |
The National Eye Institute supported a Longitudinal Study of Cataract involving 764 participants whose eyes were examined yearly over a period of about five years. The average age of the subjects was 65. Participants who were regular users of multivitamin supplements or vitamin E supplements were less likely to have an increase in lens opacity during the study period. Read the abstract on the NIH PubMed website. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) is an 11-year multicenter trial involving more than 3600 people who had evidence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration when they entered the trial. Participants were assigned to one of four groups, with each group receiving antioxidant supplements, zinc supplements, both or a placebo. The antioxidant supplement included 500 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin E and 15 mg beta-carotene. The zinc supplement included 80 mg zinc and 2 mg copper. The participants that received both the antioxidant and the zinc supplements were significantly protected from development of advanced AMD. The researchers suggested that people over the age of 55 should have an eye exam including dilation of the eyes to evaluate their risk of developing advanced AMD. People at risk of AMD "should consider taking a supplement of antioxidants plus zinc such as that used in this study." However, the authors noted that supplementation with beta-carotene is not advised for smokers. Read the abstract in the Archives of Opthamology.
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"Reduced pulmonary function is an important predictor of mortality in the general population." Factors that affect pulmonary function are not completely understood, but exposure to excessive oxidation is believed to have a damaging effect. "Vitamin C and vitamin E are powerful antioxidants found in the lung where they protect against oxidative damage. Although vitamin E is predominantly membrane bound, there is a close interaction between vitamins C and E, because vitamin C not only functions directly as an antioxidant, but it also recycles the antioxidant capacity of oxidized vitamin E." Vitamin A and the carotenoids also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity and play a role. "These compounds have been thought to protect against development of lung cancer and other respiratory illnesses." In a study of over 1600 adults in western New York state, researchers examined the association between serum levels of these vitamins and lung function. Lung function was found to improve as blood levels of the antioxidant vitamins increased, with the strongest impact being associated with vitamin E and beta-cryptoxanthin. Read the abstract on the NIH PubMed website. In a British study of lung function in 178 men and women 70 to 96 years of age who had respiratory symptoms, researchers found that for every extra milligram of vitamin E in the diet, there was an improvement in performance on two tests of lung function. (Dow 1996) In another study of more than 2600 people in the area of Nottingham, England, higher dietary intakes of vitamin C and vitamin E were associated with improved lung function. Read the abstract on the NIH PubMed website. |
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