Print | Email | Share | Comments (0)

The AHA Advocates Vitamin E in the Fight Against Heart Disease

Ben Eastman

Feb 1, 1997

A new study shows vitamin E reduces heart attacks by 75 percent. Results like this, and those from similar studies, have led the American Heart Association to name vitamin E the fourth most noteworthy health aid for heart disease in its review of 1996 research advances.

Heart disease is of special concern for people with diabetes. They are more than four times more likely to develop it than people without diabetes.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge showed, in a study published in the March 22, 1996 issue of Lancet, that vitamin E supplements reduced heart attacks by 75 percent in a group of 2,000 patients with heart disease. A study of post-menopausal women, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on May 2, 1996 showed that those taking the most vitamin E were 62 percent less likely to die from heart disease.

Vitamin E is fat soluble. It is believed that the vitamin may help break up the plaque produced from free fatty acids that causes heart attacks.

The AHA recommends that people get "adequate vitamin intakes from eating a variety of foods rather than from supplements." Judith Levine, RD, from the AHA says vitamin E requirements are an individual issue and should be discussed with one's health care professional. She recommends that everyone make sure they are at least getting the recommended daily allowance of 100 mg each day.

Others feel that supplement intake is necessary to benefit from vitamin E. William Pryor, PhD, and director of the Biodynamics Institute at Louisiana State University states, " ... it is impossible to get the amount of vitamin E from foods that are being used in these human intervention trials. Therefore, it is necessary to take vitamin E supplements." In addition, since vitamin E is fat soluble it often appears in high fat foods. Trying to load up on vitamin E strictly by diet alone, by increasing high fat food intake, could be counter productive for controlling heart disease.

Categories: Diabetes, Food, Heart Care & Heart Disease, Research, Vitamins

Comments

Add your comments about this article below. You can add comments as a registered user or anonymously. If you choose to post anonymously your comments will be sent to our moderator for approval before they appear on this page. If you choose to post as a registered user your comments will appear instantly.

When voicing your views via the comment feature, please respect the Diabetes Health community by refraining from comments that could be considered offensive to other people. Diabetes Health reserves the right to remove comments when necessary to maintain the cordial voice of the diabetes community.

For your privacy and protection, we ask that you do not include personal details such as address or telephone number in any comments posted.

Don't have your Diabetes Health Username? Register now and add your comments to all our content.

Have Your Say...

Registered User Anonymous

Your Name:	Your Email:	X

Recipient's Name:	Recipient's Email:

Your Chosen Username:	Your Email Address:

Chosen Password:	Confirm Password:

Email to a Friend

The AHA Advocates Vitamin E in the Fight Against Heart Disease

You May Also Be Interested In...

Comments

Register...

Have Your Say...

Diabetes Health

Topics

Topics

Topics

Diabetes Health Medical Disclaimer

Comment: