PR Newswire
March 08, 2001
WASHINGTON, Mar 8, 2001 /PRNewswire via
COMTEX/ -- The natural form of Vitamin E, or alpha tocopherol, is
recommended in a new publication issued by the National Institutes of
Health (NIH).
In "Facts About Dietary
Supplements," published by the Clinical Nutrition Center in NIH's
Office of Dietary Supplements, officials point out that the recommended
dietary allowance (RDA) for Vitamin E is, "based on the alpha
tocopherol form."
" ... It is the most active or
usable form," the NIH statement said. "Unlike other vitamins,
the form of alpha tocopherol made in the laboratory and found in
supplements is not identical to the natural form, and is not quite as
active as the natural form."
(Natural Vitamin E supplements, made from
soybeans, are labeled on store shelves as "d alpha tocopherol,"
while the synthetic version is called "dl alpha tocopherol.")
The report also said that the results of
two recent national surveys indicate that the dietary intake of most
Americans doesn't provide the recommended intake for Vitamin E. The
surveys were the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and the
Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals, both conducted in the
l990s.
"Alpha tocopherol is the most active
form of Vitamin E in humans," the NIH statement said, "and is a
powerful biological antioxidant.
"Antioxidants such as Vitamin E act
to protect your cells against the effect of free radicals, which are
potentially damaging byproducts of the body's metabolism.
Free radicals
can cause cell damage that may contribute to the development of
cardiovascular disease and cancer."
The NIH paper also listed groups who may
need extra Vitamin E to prevent a deficiency: "There are three
specific situations when a Vitamin E deficiency is likely to occur."
l) Individuals who cannot absorb fat may
require a Vitamin E supplement because some dietary fat is needed for the
absorption of Vitamin E from the gastrointestinal tract.
2) Very low birth weight individuals may
be deficient in Vitamin E.
3) A rare inherited disorder of fat
metabolism called "abetalipoproteinemia" results in poor
absorption of dietary fat and Vitamin E.
What are the health
benefits of antioxidants?
Research is under way to determine how effective
antioxidants are at fighting diseases.
For example, in a study recently published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers determined that
people who ate at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day
lowered their risk of stroke by more than 30 percent. They found that the
best protection against stroke came from vegetables in the cabbage family (bok
choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards and cauliflower), green
leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, and citrus fruit juice.
Recent studies of lycopene―a carotenoid found in
abundant amounts in tomatoes and cooked tomato products such as spaghetti
and pizza sauce, tomato paste, and tomato juice―indicate that it may lower
the risk of heart attack and prostate cancer. In one study of 1,300 men,
those who consumed the highest amounts of lycopene had about half the risk
of heart attack as men who consumed less. In a 5-year study of 48,000 men,
researchers found that men who ate 10 servings of cooked tomato products
each week had a much lower risk of prostate cancer than those who did not.
Additionally, findings from the Physicians’ Health
Study of more than 20,000 male physicians indicate that beta-carotene
supplementation may reduce the risk of prostate cancer among men with low
baseline levels of beta-carotene.
Many other studies like these are looking at
diseases such as Alzheimer’s, hardening of the arteries, cataracts, and
nerve degeneration to see what influence antioxidants might have in
prevention.
Therapeutic
Dosage
