Vitamin E Supplements and Heart Disease

provided by Healthcastle.com Nutrition

Numerous preliminary and observational studies have looked at the role of Vitamin E supplements in heart disease. Some promising results, such as the Nurse Study in 1993 involving 90,000 nurses, associated Vitamin E supplements to lower rate of coronary heart disease by 30 - 40%. Another observational study in Finland involving over 5000 people also suggested that Vitamin E supplements was associated with lower death rate from heart disease.

What is Vitamin E?

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. It existed in various forms; alpha-tocopherol is the most active form of Vitamin E in our bodies. Alpha-tocopherol is a powerful antioxidant, protecting us from free radical damage. Free radical damage is often thought to contribute to the development of cancer and heart disease.

Vitamin E in Food

Vitamin E can be found in vegetable oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables.

Recent Clinical Studies on Vitamin E and Heart Disease

Until recently, a few randomized clinical studies could not cofirm the role of Vitamin E supplements in heart disease prevention. A large-scale trial The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) Study followed 95,000 patients for 4.5 years who were at high risk for heart attack or stroke. In this clinical trial, patients who received 265 mg (400) IU of vitamin E supplements daily did not experience significantly fewer cardiovascular events or hospitalizations for heart failure or chest pain when compared to those who received the placebo.