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Home > Anti-aging Research > Vitamin E

Vitamin E

Specific Recommendations:

• Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at iHerb
• Vitamin E products at iHerb
• Mixed vitamin E products at iHerb
• Vitacost vitamin E products
• Drugstore.com/GNC vitamin E products
• Nature's Bounty 100% Natural High Gamma Vitamin E - Drugstore.com

General Information:

• Vitamin E - The Natural Pharmacist
• What’s the difference between all the vitamin E products that are available? - Drugstore.com
• Vitamin E Prevents Exercise Damage to DNA - thenutritionreporter.com
• How Much Vitamin E Helps the Heart? - thenutritionreporter.com
• Vitamin E and Heart Attacks - thenutritionreporter.com
• Two New Studies Find Natural Vitamin E Better Absorbed, Retained Than Synthetic - thenutritionreporter.com

News & Research:

• Antioxidant vitamins may protect against female cancer - Nutra USA, 6/3/09 - "for every 1,000 microgram increase per 1,000 kcal of diet of beta-carotene was associated with a 12 per cent reduction in the risk of endometrial cancer ... Similarly, for every 50 milligram increase per 1,000 kcal of vitamin C the risk of endometrial cancer was reduced by 15 per cent, and for every 5 milligram increase per 1,000 kcal of vitamin E the risk of endometrial cancer was reduced by 9 per cent" - [Abstract]
• High-Dose Vitamin E Slows Functional Decline in Alzheimer's Disease - Medscape, 5/4/09 - "The clinical-effectiveness study enrolled 540 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (324 women) who had a mean age of nearly 74 years. All were receiving 1 of the following cholinesterase inhibitors: donepezil, rivastigmine, or galantamine (800 to 1000 U twice daily). In addition, 208 patients received vitamin E (800 to 2000 IU/day) ... Vitamin E treatment showed small to medium effect sizes in slowing functional decline, the abstract reports. For vitamin E, the ADL Cohen's d significantly increased, from 0.20 in year 1 (P = .02) to 0.42 by year 5 (P < .001)"
• Vitamin E may reverse male pattern baldness: Study - Nutra USA, 4/28/09 - "Volunteers were randomly assigned to the palm tocotrienol complex (total tocotrienol intake of 100 mg) or the placebo (soft gelatin capsule containing 600 mg soy bean oil) ... Hair counts, measured by the counting the number of hairs in a pre-selected 2x2 cm area, were found to significantly increase by an average of 41.8 per cent in the tocotrienol group, with eight volunteers experiencing greater than 50 per cent hair growth ... There are eight forms of vitamin E: four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta). Alpha-tocopherol is the main source found in supplements ... While the majority of research on vitamin E has focused on alpha-Toc, studies into tocotrienols account for less than one per cent of all research into vitamin E" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at iHerb.
• Tocotrienol build-up in tumours ‘critical’ for anti-cancer benefits: Study - Nutra USA, 3/31/09 - "the effects of gamma- and delta-tocotrienol on mouse cancer cells ... the diet supplemented with 0.1 per cent gamma-tocotrienol or 0.1 per cent delta-tocotrienol for four weeks ... In conclusion, our results suggested that accumulation is critical for the anti-tumour activity of tocotrienols" - [Abstract] - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at iHerb.
• Vitamin E May Decrease Mortality Of Elderly Male Smokers, Yet Increase Mortality Of Middle-aged Smokers - Science Daily, 2/14/09
• Vitamin E Shows Possible Promise In Easing Chronic Inflammation - Science Daily, 12/4/08 - "the larger take-home message of the study, published in the December issue of the journal Experimental Physiology, is that Vitamin E “may be beneficial in individuals with chronic inflammation, such as the elderly or patients with type II diabetes or chronic heart failure"
• Vitamin E may slash lung cancer risk: Study - Nutra USA, 10/31/08 - "The researchers calculated that the highest average intakes of alpha-tocopherol (more than 7.73 mg per day) were associated with a 53 per cent reduction in lung cancer risk, compared to the lowest average intakes (less than 4.13 mg per day) ... When the researchers accounted for the other tocopherols they observed no significant associations on lung cancer risk for beta-, gamma, and delta-tocopherol" - [Abstract] (see the abstract, I don't believe that last part is true on the gamma. - Ben
• Optimal Dose Of Vitamin E Maximizes Benefits, Minimizes Risk - Science Daily, 10/30/08 - "One of the most compelling studies of the benefits of vitamin E is the Women’s Health Study, in which 40,000 healthy women, 45 and older, took 600 IU vitamin E supplements or a placebo every other day for 10 years. Women taking the supplements had 24 percent fewer deaths from heart disease. Vitamin E’s protective effect appeared even stronger in women 65 and older. Those taking the vitamin experienced a 26 percent reduction in cardiovascular events and a 49 percent reduction in cardiovascular deaths ... Vitamin K in the liver appears to diminish as vitamin E increases" - Note:  Alpha-tocopherol is the only form of vitamin E that is measured in IU's.  See my vitamin E page for problems with just taking the one form of vitamin E.  For one thing, in addition to reducing vitamin K it reduces the gamma-tocopherol form of vitamin E which may be as important if not more important.  See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at iHerb.
• Prostate Cancer: Vitamin E, Selenium No Help - WebMD, 10/28/08 - "That evidence included a 1998 Finnish study of whether vitamin E could prevent lung cancer in some 30,000 smokers. It didn't, but men taking vitamin E had 32% fewer prostate cancers ... I am afraid it will be the end of the story for large trials of vitamin E and selenium to prevent prostate cancer" - Note:  Most of the vitamin E studies I've read on prostate cancer indicated that only the gamma-tocopherol worked yet they spent $114 million on this study and used the cheapest synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate form.  How dumb was that?  I don't know what the story on the selenium was.  Some say it's because people in the U.S. aren't deficient in selenium.  See my comments in my 10/29/08 newsletter.
• Vitamin E May Help Alzheimer's Patients Live Longer, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 4/15/08 - "people who took vitamin E, with or without a cholinesterase inhibitor, were 26 percent less likely to die than people who didn't take vitamin E"
• Vitamin C can keep you healthy, looking younger - CNN.com, 2/27/08 - "Pairing vitamins C and E is smart for another reason: It may lessen your Alzheimer's risks by as much as 64 percent ..."
• Vision: Antioxidants May Cut Cataracts - New York Times, 2/12/08 - "Compared with the one-fifth of women who consumed the least antioxidants, the one-fifth who consumed the most reduced their risk for cataracts by 14 percent with vitamin E and 18 percent with lutein"
• Vitamin E for Vitality? - WebMD, 1/22/08 - "people with high blood levels of vitamin E showed a milder decline in their physical function test scores" - [Science Daily] - Note:  I feel that the reason the studies stress food as the source is because you are getting the mixed form of vitamin E instead of the alpha-tocopherol found in most supplements, which may lower the other forms.
• Vitamin E Could Help 40% Of Diabetics Ward Off Heart Attacks - Science Daily, 11/23/07 - "After 18 months of treatment, people with the haptoglobin (Hp) 2-2 gene who took 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin E daily had more than 50 percent fewer heart attacks, strokes, and related deaths than Hp 2-2 patients who took a placebo pill. 40% of individuals with diabetes carry the Hp 2-2 gene" - Note:  Only the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E is measured in IUs and I'm leery of only taking that form.  See:
  • Effect of oral supplementation with D-alpha-tocopherol on the vitamin E content of human low density lipoproteins and resistance to oxidation - J Lipid Res. 1991 Aug;32(8):1325-32 - "gamma-Tocopherol significantly decreased in plasma and LDL during vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) supplementation" - See See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at iHerb.
• Vitamin E pills may cut heart disease risk in diabetics - Nutra USA, 10/19/07
• Vitamin supplement use and risk for breast cancer: the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study - Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2007 Oct 5 - "a 20% reduction in breast cancer risk was observed with vitamin E supplement use among women with low-dietary vitamin E intake ... A non-significant 20% risk reduction was observed among vitamin B supplement users with low B dietary intake (OR = 0.8; 95% CI, 0.6-1.1). Frequent use of a vitamin B supplement was adversely associated with breast cancer risk among those with high dietary vitamin B intake (OR = 1.4"
• Tocotrienol may protect against DNA damage, says study - Nutra USA, 9/24/07 - "There are eight forms of vitamin E: four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta). Alpha-tocopherol (alpha-Toc) is the main source found in supplements and in the European diet, while gamma-tocopherol (gamma-Toc) is the most common form in the American diet ... While the majority of research on vitamin E has focused on alpha-Toc, studies into tocotrienols account for less than one per cent of all research into vitamin E ... blood cells from patients receiving the tocotrienol-rich supplement had significantly less DNA damage after three and six months of supplementation than those in the placebo group" - See my favorite Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at iHerb.
• Vitamin E Trials 'Fatally Flawed' - Science Daily, 9/23/07
• Vitamin E May Protect Against Venous Thromboembolism in Women - Medscape, 9/12/07 - "Of 482 women who had VTE during follow-up, 213 were in the vitamin E group and 269 were in the placebo group, yielding a significant 21% hazard reduction (relative hazard, 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66 - 0.94; P = .010). The hazard reduction was 27% for unprovoked VTE (relative hazard, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.57 - 0.94; P = .016)"
• Vitamin E May Lower Blood Clot Risk - WebMD, 9/11/07 - "Overall, women who took vitamin E were 21% less likely to develop venous thromboembolism than women who did not, but the reduction was more than double this (44%) among the women who had a history of clots ... taking vitamin E appeared to cut the clot risk in half among women with genetic mutations that increased their risk"
• Vitamin E's Lack Of Heart Benefit Linked To Dosage - Science Daily, 8/22/07
• Industry must wake up to tocotrienol opportunities - Nutra USA, 8/1/07 - "While the majority of research on vitamin E has focused on alpha-Toc, studies into tocotrienols account for less than one per cent of all research into vitamin E"
• Vitamin E: Friend or Foe During Radiation Therapy? - Physician's Weekly, 7/16/07 - "Not only did it show that vitamin E supplementation was of no benefit to patients, but it was also associated with a nearly 40% increased risk of death when compared to study counterparts who received a placebo. Vitamin E, despite what patients may think, appears to be much more harmful for patients who have head and neck cancer who are receiving radiation therapy"
• Pro-vitamin E Shown To Be Active Against Breast Cancer Cells - Science Daily, 12/9/06 - "pro-vitamin E or alpha-tocopheryl succinate can reduce tumour volume in experimental animals with high levels of HER2"
• Vitamin E may protect against cancer, heart ills - MSNBC, 11/22/06 - "Men with the highest levels of vitamin E in their blood were 18 percent less likely to die than those with the lowest levels, the researchers found. They also had a 21-percent lower risk of death from cancer, a 19-percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, and a 30-percent lower risk of death from other causes"
• Antioxidant-rich Pecans Can Protect Against Unhealthy Oxidation - Science Daily, 10/3/06 - "adding just a handful of pecans to your diet each day may inhibit unwanted oxidation of blood lipids, thus helping reduce the risk of heart disease. Researchers suggest that this positive effect was in part due to the pecan's significant content of vitamin E ... Pecans are especially rich in one form of vitamin E -- gamma tocopherol"
• Tocotrienol intake could result in bioactive concentrations - Nutra USA, 7/17/06
• What Makes Gamma Tocopherol Superior to Alpha Tocopherol - Life Extension Magazine, 4/06 - "vitamin E supplements should contain a ratio of alpha tocopherol to gamma tocopherol that is closer to what is found in nature ... For optimal supplementation, it would appear logical to consume at least 200 mg of gamma tocopherol each day, in addition to around 400 IU of alpha tocopherol"
• Tocotrienols may stop the spread of cancer cells - Nutra USA, 3/16/06
• Vitamin E – the need for perspective - Nutra USA, 3/9/06
• The vitamin E debate rumbles on - Nutra USA, 3/7/06
• Nutritional Friend Or Foe? Vitamin E Sends Mixed Messages - Science Daily, 3/3/06 - "We think that gamma-tocopherol may have this kind of damaging effect on nearly every type of cell in the body"
• Healthy Diet May Help Seniors' Vision - WebMD, 12/27/05 - "People with above-average intakes of all four antioxidants were 35% less likely to develop AMD during the study ... Vitamin E and zinc stood out"
• Meta-analysis Results Suggest High-Dose Vitamin E Increases All-Cause Mortality - Medscape, 11/6/05 - "there are several theories about why vitamin E increases risk. One theory is that it increases bleeding risk, which would increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, while another theory suggests that at high doses vitamin E stops working like an antioxidant that mops up free radicals that attack cells that line blood vessels and instead becomes a prooxidant and actually promotes the production of free radicals ... Still another scenario suggests that high-doses of vitamin E tend to destroy other fat-soluble antioxidants"
• Vitamin E: Alpha or Gamma? - Natural Food Merchandiser, 10/05 - "Given these synergistic relationships and the results of research to date, a mixed-tocopherol product seems to be the best choice"
• Vitamin E tocotrienol shows brain protection promise - Nutra USA, 10/25/05
• Low Vitamin E Serum Levels Correlate With Dementia Risk - Clinical Psychiatry News, 10/05 - "those individuals in the bottom tertile of vitamin E plasma levels were at significantly higher risk not only of being demented (OR 2.6, 95% CI) but also of having impaired cognitive function (OR 2.2, 95% CI), compared with the highest vitamin E tertile"
• High Doses Of Vitamin E Boost Rat Survival Rate 40%; Brain Function, Neuromuscular Gains - Science Daily, 9/5/05 - "male mice showed a 40% increase in median lifespan ... 17% increase in maximal lifespan (to 136 weeks from 116 weeks) ... increases in the ability to perform tests measuring neuromuscular performance (high-wire tightrope) and cognitive exploratory activity (T-maze)"
• Vitamin E Boosts Lifespan, Brain Functioning - mercola.com, 9/2/05 - "be sure to find a brand that contains gamma-tocopherol, the most naturally occuring form of vitamin E, not dl-alpha-tocopherol, the synthetic variety that's most commonly available in most stores"
• Are you getting enough vitamin E? - MSNBC, 8/12/05 - "Most supplements contain – and thus most research looks at – the form of vitamin E known as alpha-tocopherol. However, gamma-tocopherol is actually the major form in the American diet ... Some studies show that blood levels of gamma-tocopherol are a good or better indicator of heart and cancer risk. Gamma-tocopherol may even have unique cancer-suppressing functions within cells. Some studies suggest that alpha-tocopherol supplements may have the undesirable effect of reducing blood and tissue levels of gamma-tocopherol"
• Vitamin E Fails to Deliver on Early Promise - New York Times, 8/2/05
• CRN criticizes vitamin E dosage report - Nutra USA, 7/21/05
• Many Americans take too much vitamin E, says CDC - Nutra USA, 7/19/05
• Gamma-tocopherol garners speculation - ffnmag.com, 6/05
• Can Rice Bran Oil Melt Away Cholesterol? - Science Daily, 5/12/05 - "Vitamin E ... consists of both tocopherols and tocotrienols ... the tocotrienols (TRF) seem to have greater antioxidant properties ... taking any form of Vitamin E for a long time can be harmful ... The most effective dose in rats was 8 IU kg/day. Extrapolated to humans, a person with an average body weight of 154 pounds would get around 560 IU"
• Tocotrienol-Rich Rice Bran Oil A New Natural Cholesterol-Fighter - mercola.com, 5/12/05 - "This good news certainly supports other studies that have shown the antioxidant effects of tocotrienols to be 40 to 60 times more effective than alpha tocopherol"
• Boost In Immune Response Fights Common Cold - Science Daily, 4/24/05 - "Nursing facility residents who consumed 200 International Units (IUs) of vitamin E daily for one year were less likely to get the sniffles than those who took a placebo ... those who took the moderate supplements were 20 percent less likely to contract upper respiratory infections, such as colds"
• The Fake Controversy Over Vitamin E - mercola.com, 3/16/05 - "The kind of vitamin E most people often refer to which is sold in most stores is dl-alpha-tocopherol, and I urge you to stay away from it"
• Vitamin E Harms More Than It Helps - WebMD, 3/15/05 [Abstract] - "All were over age 55. Half got high-dose vitamin E -- 400 IU every day (about 400 milligrams) -- and half got fake pills that looked the just the same ... Vitamin E was linked to a 13% higher risk of heart failure and a 21% increased risk of hospitalization for heart failure" - Note: The way I understand it, only the alpha tocopherol form (used in most supplements) is measured in IU.  So I assume they used that form for this study.  I've been saying for some time that taking just the alpha tocopherol form causes more harm than good because it lowers gamma tocopherol.  See item 6 on my home page.  With all the evidence against alpha tocopherol, I'm surprised they are still using it in studies and I'm surprised how slow vitamin companies are to offer multi-vitamins with mixed tocopherols/tocotrienols.
• Vitamin E: Which Type Best for Prostate Cancer? - WebMD, 3/1/05 - "the men with the highest blood levels of alpha and gamma tocopherol had lower prostate cancer risk. Men with the highest levels of both forms of the vitamin were 30%-40% less likely to develop prostate cancer as those with the lowest levels"
• Vitamin E From Food Sources May Reduce Risk of AD - Medscape, 2/11/05 - "High intake of vitamin E from food (tocopherol), but not from supplements (which usually contain α-tocopherol), is inversely associated with Alzheimer disease ... various tocopherol forms rather than α-tocopherol alone may be important in the vitamin E protective association with Alzheimer disease"
• Vitamin E In Plant Seeds Could Halt Prostate, Lung Cancer, Says Purdue Scientist - Science Daily, 12/30/04 - "gamma-tocopherol, which occurs naturally in walnuts, pecans, sesame seeds, and in corn and sesame oils, inhibits the proliferation of lab-cultured human prostate and lung cancer cells"
• Vitamin E in Food May Fight Cancer - WebMD, 12/15/04 - "Most supplements provide a different form of the vitamin, alpha-tocopherol ... Gamma-tocopherol aced its lab tests. It inhibited the spread of prostate and lung cancer cells without hurting the healthy cells ... Mixing several forms of vitamin E -- including gamma-tocopherol -- was even better at blocking cancer's spread"
• Gamma-tocopherol halts cancer cells in lab study - Nutra USA, 12/15/04 - "Gamma-tocopherol, found naturally in walnuts, sesame seeds and corn, was found to hold back the proliferation of lab-cultured human prostate and lung cancer cells, reports the team from Purdue University in the 13 December online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ... This could indicate that the vitamin could be used to target lung and prostate cancer cells without the damaging side effects of chemotherapy"
• Vitamin E, Heart Disease, and Mortality - Dr. Murray's Natural Facts, 11/12/04
• Carotech Communication Regarding Johns Hopkins vitamin E Meta-analysis - NPI Center, 11/12/04 - "a high dosage of alpha-tocopherol alone has been shown to deplete the body's gamma-tocopherol. Despite alpha tocopherol's action as an antioxidant, gamma tocopherol is required to effectively remove the harmful peroxynitrite-derived nitrating species"
• High-Dose Vitamin E May Shorten Life Span - WebMD, 11/10/04 - "too much vitamin E -- daily doses of 400 IU or more -- actually increases the risk of dying" - Note:  Most vitamin E supplements are the d-alpha tocopherol or dl-alpha tocopheryl (synthetic) form, which have been shown to deplete serum gamma tocopherol and alpha tocotrienol.  I've been saying for some time that taking just the d-alpha tocopherol causes more harm than good (item 6 on my home page).
• CRN Questions Conclusions Reached by Researchers in Recent Vitamin E Meta-Analysis - NPI Center, 11/10/04 - "Most of the trials involved middle-aged to elderly persons who had heart disease or other serious conditions or were at risk of disease. The placebo groups had an ACM rate of 1022/10,000 and the high-dose (defined by the researchers as 400 IU and up) vitamin E subjects had an ACM increase of 39/10,000"
• Vitamin E: Reducing Diabetes Risk? - Physician's Weekly, 11/8/04 - "Although the improvement in insulin resistance was temporary, elevations in alanine transferase liver enzyme were sustained throughout the study period"
• Vitamin E + Lycopene Fights Prostate Cancer - WebMD, 9/30/04 - "a combination treatment with low-dose lycopene and vitamin E had the strongest effect at slowing tumor growth -- a 73% slowing of growth on the 42nd day of the test ... The next best results came from the low dose of lycopene alone, which slowed tumor growth by 53% in the same time frame"
• Nourishing Your Noggin - WebMD, 9/22/04 - "For a long time, people believed that a common component of vitamin E called alpha tocopherol was most important, but another form called gamma tocopherol is definitely a protective antioxidant in brain disorders"
• Vitamin E review - ConsumerLab.com, 8/25/04 - "There are studies underway to determine whether gamma-tocopherol (which is more abundant in the diet than alpha-tocopherol) may be important for some of the beneficial effects associated with natural vitamin E in the diet ... 32 products were purchased ... Five vitamin E products failed"
• Vitamin E May Prevent Common Cold - WebMD, 8/17/04 - "Participants in the vitamin E group who completed the study had significantly fewer common colds and a 20% lower risk of acquiring a cold than those in the placebo group"
• Technical Communication from CAROTECH INC, Edison, NJ (In Response to the latest Scientific Review on Vitamin E, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine) - NPI Center, 8/1/04 - "There are 8 forms of vitamin E in nature - 4 forms of tocopherols and 4 forms of tocotrienols (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocopherol and corresponding tocotrienols). The idea that one single form of vitamin E – alpha-tocopherol out of eight fractions is the “magic” vitamin E and assuming that the other forms are worthless denies the very fact that nature put these seven other tocopherols and tocotrienols out there for a reason"
• Vitamin E Useless in Fighting Heart Disease - WebMD, 7/28/04 - "vitamin E had no significant effect in reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, or heart-related death"
• Study Shows Vitamins C And E Can Prevent Metabolic Damaage In Extreme Exercise - Science Daily, 7/15/04 - "ultramarathon runners who used supplements of vitamins C and E for six weeks prior to their races totally prevented the increase in lipid oxidation that is otherwise associated with extreme exercise"
• Vitamin E May Increase 'Bad' Cholesterol - HealthDay, 5/3/04 - I feel this guy presents a stupid argument.  So let free radicals do their damage because it may raise LDL.  Give me a break.
• Higher Serum Vitamin E Levels Linked to Lower Prostate Cancer Risk - Doctor's Guide, 3/30/04 - "Compared with men in the lowest tertile of alpha-tocopherol levels, men in the highest tertile were 53% less likely to develop prostate cancer (P = .05). Men in the highest tertile of gamma-tocopherol were 39% less likely to develop the cancer than those in the lowest tertile"
• Vitamins C and E May Lower Alzheimer's Risk - WebMD, 1/20/04
• Vitamin Supplement Use May Reduce Effects Of Alzheimer's Disease - Doctor's Guide, 1/20/04
• Vitamins E and C May Fend Off Alzheimer's - HealthDay, 1/19/04 - "those who took extra vitamin E and C were about 60 percent less likely to develop dementia and other memory and thinking problems linked with Alzheimer's as those who didn't use the two supplements ... The effect appeared only in people who combined the two vitamins"
• Vitamin E May Improve Omeprazole Treatment of Moderate to Severe Erosive Oesophagitis - Doctor's Guide, 11/11/03
• Vitamin E Helps People with Sudden Hearing Loss - Healthwell Exchange Daily News, 10/2/03 - "one group received vitamin E, 600 IU two times per day, while the other did not. Treatment was considered successful when hearing improved by 75% or more ... At follow-up examinations, successful treatment was noted in 76% of those receiving vitamin E and 56% of those not receiving vitamin E"
• Vitamin E Supplements Effective Treatment for Mild Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 10/1/03 - "Vitamin E supplements of 200 IU/day improved the blood pressure status of 70 mild hypertensive ... Subjects who received vitamin E supplements had a 24% decrease in systolic blood pressure compared to a 1.6% decrease among placebo controls"
• Vitamin Supplements Improve Blood Vessel Function - Physician's Weekly, 9/8/03 - "In a study where children with hyperlipidemia were given doses of the antioxidants vitamins C and E, researchers have found that the supplements can significantly improve blood vessel function ... the test group received 500 mg of vitamin C and 400 IU of vitamin E daily. Both groups saw an 8% decline in LDL cholesterol and the test group had significant improvement in endothelial function comparable to the levels of normal healthy children"
• Age-Related Disease: Reduce Risk with Vitamin E, Exercise - Physician's Weekly, 8/25/03 - "Free radical cells, which are unstable molecules that damage cells and are believed to contribute to the development of various diseases, were significantly reduced when exercise was combined with taking vitamin E. Moreover, the combined strategies reduced the risk of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, all of which worsen free radical cell damage. The researchers note that after age 40, the body produces more free radicals and fewer natural antioxidants to fight them, and taking vitamin E supplements can be beneficial to the well-being of patients"
• Exercise, Vitamin E Combo Can Slow Aging - HealthDay, 8/11/03 - "those who exercised regularly and took vitamin E supplements became healthier and greatly decreased their levels of a blood marker that signals destruction of certain cells ... people who didn't exercise, but took vitamin E, had large decreases in oxidative stress and blood pressure ... Cells, tissues and organs are damaged by the oxidation caused by free radicals. Previous research has shown that free radicals play a role in the development of cancer, obstructed arteries, Alzheimer's disease and some 200 other diseases, as well as the aging process itself"
• Vitamins E and C Lower Kids' Heart Risks - WebMD, 8/11/03
• Can Vitamins Help Kids With High Cholesterol? - HealthDay, 8/11/03 - "All of the participants followed the National Cholesterol Education Program Step II diet for the entire six months of the study ... After an initial six-week period, the participants were randomly assigned to receive either 500 milligrams of vitamin C and 400 international units of vitamin E per day or placebos for the next six weeks ... The diet had no effect on endothelial dysfunction ... The vitamin supplements, however, improved endothelial function to almost normal levels" - [Abstract]
• E and C May Give Older Women a Mental Edge - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 8/03 - "The women who had taken vitamin C and E supplements for more than 10 years scored an average of 1.5 years younger in cognitive function than those not taking vitamins. The results were even more marked for those with low dietary vitamin E intake: Women with the lowest 30 percent of dietary vitamin E intake who did not take supplements tested two years older in mental function than women who compensated for low dietary intake with antioxidant supplements"
• Protecting Muscle Mass As You Age - Life Extension Magazine, 8/03 - "researchers gave both young (age 23 to 35) and elderly (age 66 to 78) men who were in an intensive exercise program either 1000 IU of vitamin E or a placebo daily for three months. The results showed that both the young and older men who were taking the daily vitamin E supplements had significantly less biochemical markers of free radical damage when compared to the men who were taking placebo"
• Vitamin E, Exercise Prevent Aging Damage - WebMD, 7/31/03 - "Whether they exercised or not, those taking vitamin E pills had the same reduction in harmful substances known as free radicals -- unstable molecules that damage cells and are believed to contribute to the development of some 200 different diseases, many of them age-related. The levels of a blood marker that signals free-radical damage were cut in half ... Basically, vitamin E prevents free radicals from bumping into cell walls and destroying them"
• What do you think of the new study showing that antioxidants don’t cut the risk of heart disease - Dr. Weil, 7/14/03 - "If you want to supplement your diet, take a product that provides as many members of this family of protective pigments as possible: alpha-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, etc. As for vitamin E, most studies use synthetic alpha-tocopherol. I recommend using natural vitamin E supplements that provide all four tocopherols and all four tocotrienols"
• Alpha-Tocopheryl Succinate Seen as Auxiliary Cancer Treatment - AltMedicine.com, 5/22/03 - "alpha-tocopheryl succinate has inhibited and killed both human and rodent cancer cells in test tubes (in vitro) and later in the living body of rodents (in vivo)—without causing normal cells to proliferate. So far, tests in living human bodies have not been conducted"
• NOW Foods Introduces Advanced Gamma E Complex - NPI Center, 5/22/03 - "Gamma and alpha tocopherols must both be present in the correct ratios to provide Vitamin E’s broad range of benefits"
• Delta-tocotrienol - The 21st Century Vitamin E? - Dr. Murray's Newsletter, 3/19/03
• Vitamin E Protects Against Neurotoxicity From Cisplatin - Medscape, 3/10/03 - "Among 27 patients who completed six cycles of cisplatin chemotherapy, the incidence of neurotoxicity was 30.7% in the group receiving vitamin E compared with 85.7% in the unsupplemented group (P < .01), and the neurotoxicity that did occur in the supplemented group was less severe (P < .01)."
• Is there anything that I can do to aid recovery and reduce soreness [from exercise]? - Dr. Murray - "Take 3,000-8,000 mg of vitamin C and 400-800 IU of vitamin E in divided doses daily"
• Vitamins C and E may enhance effectiveness of insulin for diabetes - University of California at Irvine, 1/29/03 - "Boosting insulin with vitamins C and E may improve the drug's effectiveness for treating diabetes ... the popular antioxidant supplements not only enhance insulin's ability to reduce blood sugar, but also lower the risks of organ damage that can occur despite insulin treatments"
• Bad Boy in the Blood: CRP - WebMD, 1/15/03 - "You can lower your CRP levels by doing the same things you would do to lower your cholesterol levels: lose weight, eat fewer calories and a very low fat diet, take the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins, and the natural form of vitamin E"
• Vitamins C and E Improve Outcome in Critically Ill Surgical Patients - New Hope Natural Media, 1/9/03 - "Five-hundred and ninety-five people admitted to a surgical intensive care unit (ICU), 91% of whom were victims of trauma, were randomly assigned to receive standard care (control group) or standard care plus vitamins C and E. Vitamin E was given orally in the amount of 1,000 IU three times per day, and vitamin C was given intravenously in the amount of 1,000 mg three times per day ... The incidence of multiple organ failure was significantly lower (by 57%) in the group receiving antioxidants than in the control group (2.7% vs. 6.1%). In addition, the average length of stay in the ICU was significantly lower (by 17%) in the antioxidant group.  After 28 days, the mortality rate was 44% lower in the antioxidant group than in the control group (1.3% vs. 2.4%), but this difference was not statistically significant"
• Antioxidant Vitamins Improve Surgical Outcomes - Medscape, 12/20/02 - "Compared with patients receiving standard care, those who received antioxidant supplementation with alpha-tocopherol and ascorbate had a shorter duration of mechanical ventilation and length of ICU stay, and lower relative risk (RR) of pulmonary morbidity (RR, 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60 - 1.1) and of multiple organ failure (RR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.19 - 0.96)"
• HRT, Vitamins C & E Don't Help Heart - WebMD, 11/19/02 - "New research offers still more evidence that hormone replacement therapy does more harm that good in older women with heart disease, and it also raises doubts about the safety of the antioxidant vitamins E and C"
• How many international units of vitamin E are in the Gamma E Tocopherol/Tocotrienol product? - Life Extension Magazine, 11/02 - "The only form of vitamin E that has a standard conversion formula from milligrams to international units is alpha tocopherol. The other forms of vitamin E, beta, gamma and delta, do not have a conversion formula and are therefore listed in milligrams on the bottle ... The point to remember is to make sure that your daily total intake of vitamin E contains at least 20% gamma tocopherol. A study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (April 1997) suggests that it could be dangerous to take high doses of alpha tocopherol without also consuming gamma tocopherol"
• Dietary Intake Of Vitamin E May Reduce Risk Of Parkinson's Disease - Intelihealth, 10/22/02 - maybe the reason supplements didn't work is because most supplements only have the alpha form, which has been shown to lower the gamma.
• Antioxidants May Reduce Alzheimer's Disease Risk - Clinical Psychiatry News, 10/02 - "Use of vitamins E and C together—which is what most subjects did—was associated with an eightfold reduction in prevalence and a fivefold lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease"
• More Antioxidants, Less Fat May Reduce Alzheimer's Risk - Clinical Psychiatry News, 10/02 - "Data are now strong enough to recommend a dietary strategy for reducing Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk that includes low fat intake and high consumption of fish and antioxidants, along with vitamin E, folic acid, and vitamins B6 and B12 supplements"
• Newly Discovered Benefits of Gamma Tocopherol - Life Extension Magazine, 10/02 - "Since taking large doses of alpha tocopherol depletes plasma levels of gamma tocopherol, the health-conscious consumer who takes only alpha tocopherol supplements needs to seriously reconsider this practice ... Likewise, most vitamin E supplements provide only alpha tocopherol. New evidence strongly suggests that this is inadequate supplementation ... men with the highest plasma levels of gamma tocopherol (the top quintile) had only one-fifth the risk of prostate cancer compared with the men with the lowest plasma levels" - I still feel that taking only the alpha can do more harm than good.  Here's the referenced Am J Clin Nutr abstract:
  • gamma-tocopherol, the major form of vitamin E in the US diet, deserves more attention - Am J Clin Nutr 2001 Dec;74(6):714-22 - "Both gamma-tocopherol and gamma-CEHC, but not alpha-tocopherol, inhibit cyclooxygenase activity and, thus, possess antiinflammatory properties. Some human and animal studies indicate that plasma concentrations of gamma-tocopherol are inversely associated with the incidence of cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer. These distinguishing features of gamma-tocopherol and its metabolite suggest that gamma-tocopherol may contribute significantly to human health in ways not recognized previously. This possibility should be further evaluated, especially considering that high doses of alpha-tocopherol deplete plasma and tissue gamma-tocopherol, in contrast with supplementation with gamma-tocopherol, which increases both"
• Vitamins C And E Support Breathing Following An Operation - Intelihealth, 9/12/02 - "Patients who have recently undergone an operation experience less breathing problems after being given a cocktail of vitamins C and E"
• Vitamins C, E May Prevent Artery Damage - Vitacost, 9/11/02
• Vitamin E Is Important For Early Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease In Middle-Aged Women - Intelihealth, 8/23/02 - "Low intakes of vitamin E were significantly associated with plaques in the carotid bifurcations, which are the sites where most early atherosclerosis begins. Women with the lowest intakes and plasma concentrations of vitamin E were more than twice as likely to have this type of plaque"
• Natural Remedies for Osteoarthritis: Now, More than Ever - New Hope Natural Media, 8/15/02 - "Other natural substances that have been reported to relieve the symptoms of OA include vitamin E (600 to 1,200 IU per day), Devil's claw, cat's claw and ginger root"
• A Better Anti-Oxidant Formula? - Dr. Weil, 8/13/02
• High Dose Vitamin E Appears to Reduce Alzheimer's Risk - Doctor's Guide, 7/24/02 - "An analysis of data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging suggests that vitamin E intake is associated with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) ... People with the highest quartile of vitamin E intake, 46.5 mg, had a 26 percent reduction in risk for developing AD."
• Vitamin E an Effective Treatment for Eczema - New Hope Natural Media, 7/11/02
• Negative Results in Antioxidant-Heart Study Challenged: A Healthnotes Newswire Opinion - New Hope Natural Media, 7/11/02 - "Nutrients work in the body as a team, and all of them must be present in adequate amounts in order to promote good health. If magnesium, for example, were the weakest link in the nutritional chain, one would not expect antioxidants to do much good until the magnesium deficiency was corrected ... Rather than testing only one or a few nutrients at a time, researchers should use a supplement that contains all of the nutrients known to promote heart health" - Some of my concerns:  All the vitamin E studies I've read have only used the alpha tocopherol and taking only the alpha has been shown to significantly lower the gamma tocopherol.  I also feel that the studies using only beta carotene are pointless.  Beta carotene is just one of over 600 carotenoids and many researchers believe that taking mega doses of just one carotenoid can cause of deficiency of the others.
• Link Found Between Vitamin E Intake and Immunoglobulin E In Treatment Of Atopic Dermatitis - Doctor's Guide, 5/31/02 - "Dietary vitamin E (VE) could be an excellent tool in treating atopic dermatitis"
• Lipoprotein Alterations Impair Vitamin E In Patients With Parenchymal Liver Cirrhosis - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/02 - "Significant increases were seen in the plasma maximal oxidation rate in cirrhotic patients, which was inversely related to the serum concentration of vitamin E"
• What's Wrong With Vitamin E? - Life Extension Magazine, 5/02 - "Most vitamin E supplements consist primarily of alpha tocopherol. Recent studies indicate that a lot more than alpha tocopherol is needed to protect against degenerative disease ... To obtain optimal health benefits from vitamin E, a mixture of tocopherols (alpha, beta, delta, and gamma) and tocotrienols (alpha, beta, delta, and gamma) are required ...In an animal model of aging, tocotrienols extended lifespan by 19% ... studies indicate that high dose alpha-tocopherol supplementation considerably decreases the absorption of gamma-tocopherol and reduces the effects of tocotrienols"
• Does Vitamin E Prevent Breast Cancer? - Life Extension Magazine, 5/02 - "premenopausal women with a family history who consumed the highest quantity of vitamin E enjoyed a 43% reduction in breast cancer incidence compared to only a 16% risk reduction for women without a family history of breast cancer.[11] Based on this study, vitamin E appears to protect against genetic- predisposed breast cancer better than environmental-induced breast cancer. (Note that nutrients like indole-3-carbinol may specifically protect against environmental breast carcinogens.)"
• Vitamin E Eases Aching Muscles - WebMD, 4/26/02
• Vitamins Help After Heart Transplant - WebMD, 3/28/02 - "The plaque-fighting benefits of the antioxidant supplements were even greater than those found using statin medications, which have already been shown to slow hardening of the arteries after transplants. Previous research has shown that antioxidants, such as vitamin C and E, can promote heart health by reducing blood clots and keeping the blood vessels flexible"
• Few Vitamins Effectively Prevent or Reverse Skin Damage - Medscape, 3/02 - "New laboratory studies suggest vitamin E helps inactivate free radicals, making them less likely to cause damage"
• How Vitamin E Works - Nutrition Science News, 12/01
• Antioxidants, At Certain Levels, May Reduce Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/01 - "increasing levels of serum beta- carotene were associated with significant reductions in systolic blood pressure, while increasing levels of serum vitamin C were associated with significant reductions in diastolic pressure ... In contrast, serum levels of vitamin E were associated with significant increases in diastolic blood pressure"
• Everbody's Getting Alzheimer's, Decline Can Happen Fast in Those Over 65 - WebMD, 11/12/01 - "We know that dementia is extremely common, especially as we age ... He recommends 800IU twice a day for people who are already have dementia; for older people at risk, 400IU twice a day. Younger people and people at low risk are advised to take 400 IU once a day"
• The Wizard is Oz - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 - "Best-selling author and nutritional guru to the rich and famous, Oz Garcia is singing the praises of the Life Extension Foundation and its products in his newest book, The Healthy High Tech Body, published in September 2001 ... Supplements at the top of Garcia's list of recommendations ... DHA ... NADH ... Alpah Lipoic Acid ... Acetyl-L-Carnitine ... An expanded list of his recommendations includes lycopene, gamma tocopherol, vinpocetine, SAMe, folic acid, carnosine, glutathione, DMAE, Huperzine A, probiotics, MSM, secretagogues, arginine pyroglutamate, IP-6, bioflavonoid formulas and grape skin/seed extracts"
• Vitamin E Prevents - Nutrition Science News, 11/01
• Zinc, Antioxidants Prevent Some Forms of Vision Loss - WebMD, 10/12/01 - "people at risk of losing more sight due to a condition called "age-related macular degeneration" (AMD) could prevent further vision loss by taking a combination of zinc and antioxidants, including vitamins C and E and beta-carotene ... The antioxidants were taken once a day at a dose of 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, and 15 mg of beta-carotene. Zinc was given as 80 mg of zinc oxide along with 2 mg of copper in the form of cupric oxide to prevent anemia, which can occur from too much zinc ... the high levels of dietary supplements that were taken in this study are very difficult to achieve from diet alone"
• A Prescription for Alarm - Nutrition Science News, 9/01 - "Taking natural vitamin E supplements to reduce levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory compound that increases the risk of heart disease by 4.5 times.  Heart disease is increasingly viewed as a disease of blood-vessel inflammation"
• Antioxidants Resolve Radiation Side Effects - Nutrition Science News, 9/01
• Could Nicotinamide And Vitamin E Have Synergistic Effect And Reduce Insulin Usage? - Doctor's Guide, 7/11/01 - "The combination of nicotinamide and vitamin E might have a synergistic effect in lowering daily insulin usage among newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetics"
• Vitamin E May Help Prevent Menopause Bone Loss - WebMD, 6/28/01 - "Treating these rats with vitamin E at a dose comparable to 400 IU in humans was just as good as estrogen treatment in restoring bone density and weight"
• Newer Agents Offer Better Hot Flash Control In Breast Cancer Patients - Doctor's Guide, 4/4/01 - "If hot flashes are mild and/or the patient is risk averse, vitamin E (800 IU/day) is reasonable to try, because it is safe, inexpensive, and has some demonstrated efficacy"
• The Prediabetic Epidemic - Nutrition Science News, 3/01 - "Supplements to Regulate Glucose and Insulin ... Alpha-Lipoic Acid ... Vitamin E ... A British study of 2,000 subjects with carefully diagnosed heart disease found that people taking 400­800 IU natural vitamin E daily for an average of 18 months had a 77 percent lower prevalence of heart attacks, compared with people taking placebos ... Vitamin C ... Chromium ... Silymarin" - (I assume that the natural form includes gamma tocopheryls whereas most US studies I have read use only the alpha, which has been shown to lower gamma.  That's why I feel there is conflicting studies with vitamin E. - Ben)
• Vitamin E 2000 - Nutrition Science News, 3/01
• High-Dose Vitamin E May Help Hearts -  WebMD, 3/1/01 - "Rimm led a study of vitamin E supplements (100 IU/day) in 38,884 men aged 40-75 without heart disease. Those who received vitamin E had a 25% reduction in risk of heart disease."
• Cardiologists Take Vitamin E and Recommend it to Their Patients - Council for Responsible Nutrition, 1/31/01
• Antioxidant Vitamins Block Homocysteine's Acute Toxic Effects - Nutrition Science News, 12/00
• Vitamins C and E May Reduce Risk, Complications of Diabetes - WebMD, 11/15/00
• Vitamin E Supplements May Help Prevent Stroke In Men With Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/00
• Vitamin E Reduces Levels Of Protein That Predicts Heart Disease - Doctor's Guide, 10/24/00
• Combining alpha- and gamma-tocopherol for maximum antioxidant effect - Life Extension Magazine, 10/00
• Diabetic Kids May Benefit From Daily Vitamin E - WebMD, 9/26/00
• E Gets an 'A' at Lowering Risk of Diabetes Complications - WebMD, 7/11/00
• Vitamin E Works As Anti-Inflammatory Agent In Type II Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 7/10/00 - "A high intake of vitamin E can help reduce heart disease and stroke risk in type II diabetics"
• Fat-Soluble Vitamin Absorption Not Threatened by Fat Cutbacks - WebMD, 5/19/00
• Vitamin E May Prevent Narrowing of the Arteries - Medscape, 4/19/00
• Some Drugs May Protect Against Alzheimer's, Others Might Increase Risk - Doctor's Guide, 4/12/00
• Diet May Prevent Alzheimer's Disease - Doctor's Guide, 4/9/00
• Contradictory reports on vitamin E raise questions - CNN, 3/29/00
• Americans Need E - Nutrition Science News, 1/00
• Cocktails & Vitamin E Improve Memory - Nutrition Science News, 11/99
• Vitamin E May Lower Cancer Risk - Intelihealth, 10/19/99
• Essential Nutrients for Endurance Athletes - Nutrition Science News, 5/99
• Vitamin E may reduce risk of stroke - CNN, 4/21/99
• Vitamins May Reduce Stroke Risk - Doctor's Guide, 4/20/99
• Brain Blood Flow, Alzheimer Linked - Intelihealth, 1/26/99
• Understanding E - Nutrition Science News, 1/99
• Vitamin E: Weighing the Tocopherols - Nutrition Science News, 1/99
• Natural Vitamin E The Supplement Of Choice For Pregnant Women - Doctor's Guide, 3/24/98
• Vitamin E May Prevent Prostate Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 3/18/98 - "long-term use of a moderate-dose vitamin E supplement substantially reduced prostate cancer incidence and deaths in male smokers"
• Study: Vitamin E reduces prostate cancer risk, deaths - CNN, 3/17/98
• Vitamin E May Reduce Smoking Damage In Pregnant Women - Doctor's Guide, 2/5/98
• Vitamins C And E Temporarily Block Some Harmful Effects Of High-Fat Meal - Doctor's Guide, 11/25/97
• Vitamin E May Enhance Effectiveness Of Colorectal Cancer Drug - Doctor's Guide, 11/20/97
• Vitamin Supplements May Reduce Colon Cancer Risk - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/97
• Vitamin E May Prevent Colon Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 11/5/97
• Antioxidant Vitamins May Improve Cardiac Patient Outcomes - Doctor's Guide, 6/3/97
• Military Program Proposes Saving Money Through Vitamin Supplementation - Doctor's Guide, 5/22/97 - "A new report by the National Defense Council Foundation finds that the federal government could save up to $6.3 billion annually by increasing the health of active and retired military personnel through a anti-aging program that includes the use of vitamin supplementation"
• Vitamin E Supplements Provide Some Benefit To Immune System In Elderly - Doctor's Guide, 5/7/97
• Report: Vitamin E, Parkinson's drug slow Alzheimer's disease - CNN, 4/23/97
• Studies Indicate Vitamin E May Slow Aging - Doctor's Guide, 3/5/97
• Vitamin E Protects Against Heart Attacks, Reports Study - Doctor's Guide, 1/29/97

Abstracts:

• Antioxidant vitamins and the risk of endometrial cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis - Cancer Causes Control. 2009 Jul;20(5):699-711 - "Based on case-control data, the random-effects summary odds ratios (OR) were, for beta-carotene: 0.88 (95% CI: 0.79-0.98) per 1,000 mcg/1,000 kcal (I2: 77.7%; p < 0.01); for vitamin C: 0.85 (95% CI: 0.73-0.98) per 50 mg/1,000 kcal (I2: 66.1%; p < 0.01); and, for vitamin E: 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84-0.99) per 5 mg/1,000 kcal (I2: 0.0%; p: 0.45)"
• Multivitamin use and telomere length in women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jun;89(6):1857-63 - "After age and other potential confounders were adjusted for, multivitamin use was associated with longer telomeres. Compared with nonusers, the relative telomere length of leukocyte DNA was on average 5.1% longer among daily multivitamin users (P for trend = 0.002). In the analysis of micronutrients, higher intakes of vitamins C and E from foods were each associated with longer telomeres, even after adjustment for multivitamin use. Furthermore, intakes of both nutrients were associated with telomere length among women who did not take multivitamins"
• Specific accumulation of gamma- and delta-tocotrienols in tumor and their antitumor effect in vivo - J Nutr Biochem. 2008 Sep 26 - "In C3H/HeN mice implanted with MH134, it was found that gamma-T3 and delta-T3 feeding significantly delayed tumor growth ... Intriguingly, we found that T3 was detected in tumor, but not in normal tissues. These results, to our knowledge, are the first demonstration of specific accumulation of gamma-T3 and delta-T3 in tumors and suggest that T3 accumulation is critical for the antitumor activities of T3" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at iHerb.
• The response of gamma vitamin E to varying dosages of alpha vitamin E plus vitamin C - Metabolism. 2009 Apr;58(4):469-78 - "vitamin E has several isomers, with the alpha form being available via dietary supplements and the gamma form being available via dietary foodstuffs. The gamma form of vitamin E demonstrates several superior properties (such as trapping reactive nitrogen species and detoxifying nitrogen dioxide) compared with alpha vitamin E. All clinical trials have used the alpha isomer, with little concern that this isomer of vitamin E may actually suppress the gamma isomer of vitamin E ... The results demonstrate that alpha vitamin E levels increased in proportion to the dose administered. However, at every dose of alpha vitamin E, gamma vitamin E concentration was significantly suppressed ... Our results suggest that all prospective cardiovascular clinical trials that used vitamin E supplementation actually suppressed the beneficial antioxidant gamma isomer of vitamin E" - Dah!!  I've been saying that for years.  They're finally catching on.  See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at iHerb.
• gamma-Tocopherol-enriched mixed tocopherol diet inhibits prostate carcinogenesis in TRAMP mice - Int J Cancer. 2008 Oct 27 - "8 week old TRAMP males were fed 0.1% gamma-T-enriched mixed tocopherol diet that contained 20-fold higher levels of gamma-tocopherol, and roughly 3-fold higher levels of alpha-tocopherol ... Treatment with gamma-T-enriched mixed tocopherols significantly suppressed the incidence of palpable tumor and Prostate Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PIN) development without affecting the expression of the transgene (SV-40) ... gamma-T-enriched mixed tocopherols significantly up-regulated the expression of Nrf2 and its related detoxifying and antioxidant enzymes thereby suppressing PIN and tumor development" - Note:  One previous study was done with alpha-tocopherol.  I cannot understand why they did that when the previous research also supported the gamma unless they didn't do any homework at all before planning the study.  See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at iHerb.
• The effect of vitamin E on the treatment of menstrual migraine - Med Sci Monit. 2009 Jan;15(1):CR16-19 - "Vitamin E is effective in relieving symptoms due to menstrual migraine"
• Effect of alpha-tocopherol, N-acetylcysteine and omeprazole on esophageal adenocarcinoma formation in a rat surgical model - Int J Cancer. 2008 Oct 20 - "oxidative stress subsequent to gastroesophageal reflux is an important driving force of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) formation in the esophagogastroduodenal anastomosis (EGDA) rat model. This study investigated the possible tumor inhibitory effects of 2 antioxidants, alpha-tocopherol (389 and 778 ppm), N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 500 and 1,000 ppm), and their combination (389 and 500 ppm, respectively), as well as an antacid therapeutic agent, omeprazole (1,400 ppm) ... alpha-Tocopherol dose-dependently decreased the incidence of EAC (p = 0.03), with 778 ppm alpha-tocopherol reducing the incidence of EAC to 59% (16/27) in comparison with 84% (26/31) in the control group (p = 0.04). Supplementation of alpha-tocopherol also increased the serum concentration of alpha-tocopherol. NAC at 500 and 1,000 ppm did not significantly decrease EAC incidence; however, the combination of alpha-tocopherol 389 ppm and NAC 500 ppm significantly reduced the incidence of EAC to 55% (15/27) (p = 0.02). alpha-Tocopherol alone or in combination with NAC significantly reduced the number of infiltrating cells positively stained for 4-hydroxynonenal. Omeprazole showed only a slight nonsignificant inhibitory effect at the dose given"
• Efficacy of a Vitamin/Nutriceutical Formulation for Early-stage Alzheimer's Disease: A 1-Year, Open-Label Pilot Study With an 16-Month Caregiver Extension - Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2008 Dec 1 - "We examined the efficacy of a vitamin/nutriceutical formulation (folate, vitamin B6, alpha-tocopherol, S-adenosyl methionine, N-acetyl cysteine, and acetyl-L-carnitine) in a 12-month, open-label trial with 14 community-dwelling individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Participants improved in the Dementia Rating Scale and Clock-drawing tests (Clox 1 and 2). Family caregivers reported improvement in multiple domains of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and maintenance of performance in the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Sustained performance was reported by caregivers for those participants who continued in an 16-month extension. Performance on the NPI was equivalent to published findings at 3 to 6 months for donepezil and exceeded that of galantamine and their historical placebos. Participants demonstrated superior performance for more than 12 months in NPI and ADL versus those receiving naproxen and rofecoxib or their placebo group. This formulation holds promise for treatment of early-stage Alzheimer's disease prior to and/or as a supplement for pharmacological approaches"
• Antioxidant treatment with alpha-tocopherol improves erectile function in hypertensive rats - Hypertens Res. 2008 May;31(5):1007-13 - "Treatment with 24 mg alpha-tocopherol decreased TBARS levels and increased SOD activity in the serum and corpus cavernosum. Relaxation in response to acetylcholine chloride in the corpus cavernosum was improved with alpha-tocopherol treatment at each dose. These results suggest that alpha-tocopherol treatment increases the diminished relaxation in the corpus cavernosum of SHRs by improving neuronal or endothelial function related to nitric oxide and carbon monoxide. This, in turn, indicates that antioxidant therapy may play a role in treatment for ED in hypertensive patients"
• Dietary alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocopherols in lung cancer risk - Int J Cancer. 2008 Jun 10 - "When we entered the other tocopherols in our model, only the association with dietary alpha-tocopherol intake remained significant; i.e., increasing intake of dietary alpha-tocopherol accounted for 34-53% reductions in lung cancer risk"
• alpha- and gamma-Tocopherol prevent age-related transcriptional alterations in the heart and brain of mice - J Nutr. 2008 Jun;138(6):1010-8 - "In the heart, both tocopherol-supplemented diets were effective in inhibiting the expression of genes previously associated with cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and increased innate immunity. In the brain, induction of genes encoding ribosomal proteins and proteins involved in ATP biosynthesis was observed with aging and was markedly prevented by the mixture of alphaT and gammaT supplementation but not by alphaT alone. These results demonstrate that middle age-onset dietary supplementation with alphaT and gammaT can partially prevent age-associated transcriptional changes and that these effects are tissue and tocopherol specific"
• Dietary carotenoids, vitamins C and e, and risk of cataract in women: a prospective study - Arch Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan;126(1):102-9 - "In these prospective observational data from a large cohort of female health professionals, higher dietary intakes of lutein/zeaxanthin and vitamin E from food and supplements were associated with significantly decreased risks of cataract"
• Alpha-tocopherol supplementation prevents the exercise-induced reduction of serum paraoxonase 1/arylesterase activities in healthy individuals - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Sep 19 - "Alpha-T supplementation may result in protection of the enzyme PON 1/Aryl activities from free radical production"
• Reduction of DNA damage in older healthy adults by Tri E((R)) Tocotrienol supplementation - Nutrition. 2007 Sep 19 - "Tri E((R)) Tocotrienol supplementation may be beneficial by reducing DNA damage as indicated by a reduction in DNA damage, SCE frequency, and urinary 8-OHdG" - See my favorite Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family) at iHerb.
• Alpha-tocopherol supplementation prevents the exercise-induced reduction of serum paraoxonase 1/arylesterase activities in healthy individuals - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Sep 19 - "Alpha-T supplementation may result in protection of the enzyme PON 1/Aryl activities from free radical production"
• Vitamin E dietary supplementation significantly affects multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease in baboons - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Sep;86(3):597-603 - "vitamin E caused 2 paradoxical effects on HDL metabolism: higher apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) concentrations and lower HDL sizes ... They also show 2 apparently paradoxical effects on HDL metabolism: lower HDL(2), which is mediated by genes, and higher apo A-I, which is not. These effects have contrasting associations with CVD risk and may help account for the mixed results from clinical trials of dietary vitamin E"
• Gamma-tocopherol and docosahexaenoic acid decrease inflammation in dialysis patients - J Ren Nutr. 2007 Sep;17(5):296-304 - "gamma tocopherol (308 mg) and DHA (800 mg) ... In the treatment group, but not in the placebo group, there were significant decreases in IL-6 (21.4 +/- 3.5 to 16.8 +/- 3.7 pg/mL), white blood cell (WBC) count (7.4 +/- 0.3 to 6.9 +/- 0.4 10(3)/microL), and neutrophil fraction of WBCs (4.8 +/- 0.3 to 4.4 +/- 0.3 10(3)/microL), at P < .05 for all"
• Supplemental and dietary vitamin e intakes and risk of prostate cancer in a large prospective study - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Jun;16(6):1128-35 - "dietary gamma-tocopherol, the most commonly consumed form of vitamin E in the United States, was significantly inversely related to the risk of advanced prostate cancer (for highest versus lowest quintile: RR, 0.68"
• Supplementation with vitamins C and e improves arterial stiffness and endothelial function in essential hypertensive patients - Am J Hypertens. 2007 Apr;20(4):392-7 - "Combined treatment with vitamins C and E has beneficial effects on endothelium-dependent vasodilation and arterial stiffness in untreated, essential hypertensive patients"
• Effect of the main dietary antioxidants (carotenoids, gamma-tocopherol, polyphenols, and vitamin C) on alpha-tocopherol absorption - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan 31 - "Naringenin, carotenoids and probably gamma-tocopherol can impair alpha-tocopherol absorption whereas vitamin C and phenolic acids have no effect"
• The effect of vitamin E on blood pressure in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - J Hypertens. 2007 Jan;25(1):227-34 - "Treatment with alpha-tocopherol significantly increased systolic BP [7.0 (5.2, 8.8) mmHg, P < 0.0001], diastolic BP [5.3 (4.0, 6.5) mmHg, P < 0.0001], pulse pressure [1.8 (0.6, 3.0) mmHg, P < 0.005] and heart rate [2.0 (0.6, 3.3) bpm, P < 0.005] versus placebo. Treatment with mixed tocopherols significantly increased systolic BP [6.8 (4.9, 8.6) mmHg, P < 0.0001], diastolic BP [3.6 (2.3, 4.9) mmHg, P < 0.0001], pulse pressure [3.2 (2.0, 4.4) mmHg, P < 0.0001] and heart rate [1.8 (0.5, 3.2) bpm, P < 0.01] versus placebo"
• Combined Lycopene and Vitamin E Treatment Suppresses the Growth of PC-346C Human Prostate Cancer Cells in Nude Mice - J Nutr. 2006 May;136(5):1287-93 - "lycopene combined with vitamin E may inhibit the growth of prostate cancer"
• Supplementation with mixed tocopherols increases serum and blood cell {gamma}-tocopherol but does not alter biomarkers of platelet activation in subjects with type 2 diabetes - Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jan;83(1):95-102 - "Supplementation with alpha-tocopherol decreased red blood cell gamma-tocopherol, whereas mixed tocopherols increased both serum alpha-tocopherol and serum and cellular gamma-tocopherol"
• Vitamin E Supplementation in Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Tardive Dyskinesia, and Cataract: Part 2 (December) - Ann Pharmacother. 2005 Nov 15 - "We encourage patients to supplement with vitamin E-rich foods. The use of a daily multivitamin, which usually contains 30 IU of alpha-tocopherol, may be beneficial; however, we discourage individual vitamin E supplements that usually contain 400 IU of alpha-tocopherol"
• The therapeutic impacts of tocotrienols in type 2 diabetic patients with hyperlipidemia - Atherosclerosis. 2005 Oct;182(2):367-74 - "tocotrienol rich fraction (TRF) ... After 60 days of TRF treatment, subjects showed an average decline of 23, 30, and 42% in serum total lipids, TC, and LDL-C, respectively ... daily intake of dietary TRF by type 2 diabetics will be useful in the prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia and atherogenesis"
• Vitamin E at high doses improves survival, neurological performance and brain mitochondrial function in aging male mice - Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2005 Jul 14 - "Male mice receiving vitamin E (5.0 g alpha-tocopherol acetate/kg of food) from 28 wk of age showed a 40 % increased median lifespan ... and 17 % increased maximal lifespan, whereas female mice equally supplemented exhibited only 14 % increased median lifespan ... Vitamin E-supplemented male mice showed a better performance in the tightrope (neuromuscular function) and the T-maze (exploratory activity) tests" - [eurekalert.org]
• Vitamin E in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer: the Women's Health Study: a randomized controlled trial - JAMA. 2005 Jul 6;294(1):56-65
• The effect of gamma-tocopherol administration on alpha-tocopherol levels and metabolism in humans - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jun 1 - "The plasma alpha-tocopherol concentration decreased significantly during gamma-tocopherol administration"
• Vitamins E and C are safe across a broad range of intakes - Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Apr;81(4):736-45 - "vitamin E supplements appear safe for most adults in amounts </=1600 IU (1073 mg RRR-alpha-tocopherol or the molar equivalent of its esters) and that vitamin C supplements of </=2000 mg/d are safe for most adults"
• A randomized trial of antioxidant vitamins to prevent second primary cancers in head and neck cancer patients - J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 Apr 6;97(7):481-8 - "alpha-Tocopherol supplementation produced unexpected adverse effects on the occurrence of second primary cancers and on cancer-free survival"
• Effects of long-term vitamin E supplementation on cardiovascular events and cancer: a randomized controlled trial - JAMA. 2005 Mar 16;293(11):1338-47
• Dietary intake of vitamin C and vitamin E and the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy - Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2005 Mar 1;119(1):67-71 - "Low vitamin E intake was associated with a significant increase in the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy"
• Vitamin E and respiratory tract infections in elderly nursing home residents: a randomized controlled trial - JAMA. 2004 Aug 18;292(7):828-36
• Supplementation of Diets with alpha-Tocopherol Reduces Serum Concentrations of gamma- and delta-Tocopherol in Humans - J Nutr. 2003 Oct;133(10):3137-40 - "Despite promising evidence from in vitro experiments and observational studies, supplementation of diets with alpha-tocopherol has not reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer in most large-scale clinical trials. One plausible explanation is that the potential health benefits of alpha-tocopherol supplements are offset by deleterious changes in the bioavailability and/or bioactivity of other nutrients ... Compared with placebo, supplementation with alpha-tocopherol reduced serum gamma-tocopherol concentrations by a median change of 58% ... and reduced the number of individuals with detectable delta-tocopherol concentrations ... In view of the potential benefits of gamma- and delta-tocopherol, the efficacy of alpha-tocopherol supplementation may be reduced due to decreases in serum gamma- and delta-tocopherol levels. Additional research is clearly warranted" - This is what I've been saying for years yet they still do nearly all the studies with the alpha-tocopherol.
• Vitamin E supplementation increases LDL resistance to ex vivo oxidation in hemodialysis patients - "Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2003 Jul;73(4):290-6 - "Since oral vitamin E supplementation prevents oxidative stress and significantly increases LDL resistance to ex vivo oxidation, supplementation by natural antioxidants such as vitamin E may be beneficial in hemodialysis patients"
• Oral Antioxidant Therapy Improves Endothelial Function in Type 1 but not Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2003 Dec;285(6):H2392-8. Epub 2003 Jul 24 - "subjects were randomized to oral vitamin C 1000 mg and vitamin E 800 IU daily or matching placebo for six months ... Oral antioxidant therapy improves EDV in T1 but not T2 diabetes" - The measurement of Vitamin E in IUs shows that they are still using d-alpha-tocopherol or worse, the dl-alpha-tocopherol instead of mixed tocopherols including the tocotrienols in studies.  Just for starters, the d-alpha lowers gamma.
• Gamma-Tocopherol, the new vitamin E? - AJCN, 3/1/03
• Non-nutritive bioactive food constituents of plants: tocopherols (vitamin E) - Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2003 Mar;73(2):89-94 - "in food, gamma- and delta-tocopherol are a more potent antioxidant than alpha-tocopherol. Tocopherols as a group are the key antioxidants in human cell membranes and are also important in protecting the LDL particles"
• Vitamin E prevents changes in the cornea and conjunctiva due to vitamin A deficiency - Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2003 Apr;241(4):287-97 - "The present study suggests that vitamin E has a protective effect against the corneal and conjunctival damage caused by vitamin A deficiency"
• High-dose antioxidant supplements and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly women - Am. J. of Clin. Nutr., 4/03 - "Long-term, current users of vitamin E with vitamin C had significantly better mean performance, as judged by a global score that combined individual test scores, than did women who had never used vitamin E or C (P = 0.03); there was a trend for increasingly higher mean scores with increasing durations of use (P = 0.04). These associations were strongest among women with low dietary intakes of alpha-tocopherol. Benefits were less consistent for women taking vitamin E alone, with no evidence of higher scores with longer durations of use. Use of specific vitamin C supplements alone had little relation to performance on our cognitive tests"
• Mixed tocopherols inhibit platelet aggregation in humans: potential mechanisms - AJCN, 3/1/03 - "ADP-induced platelet aggregation decreased significantly in the mixed tocopherol group but not in the alpha-tocopherol and control groups ... Effects of mixed tocopherols were associated with increased NO release, ecNOS activation, and SOD protein content in platelets, which may contribute to the effect on platelet aggregation"
• Antioxidants and Risk of Alzheimer Disease - JAMA, 11/13/02 - "Dr Morris and colleagues1 and Dr Engelhart and colleagues2 found an inverse relationship between intake of vitamin E from food, but not from supplements, with risk of Alzheimer disease (AD).3  I would like to suggest a mechanism for this finding.  The predominant dietary form of vitamin E, gamma-tocopherol, but not the form found in supplements, alpha-tocopherol, has been demonstrated to inhibit cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) production of prostaglandin E2 in macrophages and epithelial cells"
• Association between alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, selenium, and subsequent prostate cancer - J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000 Dec 20;92(24):2018-23 - "For gamma-tocopherol, men in the highest fifth of the distribution had a fivefold reduction in the risk of developing prostate cancer than men in the lowest fifth" - [Full Article]
• Effect of oral supplementation with D-alpha-tocopherol on the vitamin E content of human low density lipoproteins and resistance to oxidation - J Lipid Res. 1991 Aug;32(8):1325-32 - "gamma-Tocopherol significantly decreased in plasma and LDL during vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) supplementation"

Other possible vitamin E retailers:

Related Sites:

• Doctor's Guide search of vitamin E
• Doctor's Guide (2) search of vitamin E
• Intelihealth search of vitamin E
• Life Extension Foundation search
• Medline search of vitamin E
• Medscape search of vitamin E
• The Natural Pharmacist search of vitamin E
• Nutrition Science News search
• WebMD search of vitamin E

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