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Vitamin E May Prevent Respiratory Infections in Elderly |
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Thursday, 12 August 2010 10:07 |
Vitamin E May Prevent Respiratory Infections in Elderly
BOSTON—Vitamin E supplementation may be a potential strategy to prevent respiratory tract infections (RIs) in the elderly. But the efficacy of vitamin E supplementation may depend on individual factors, including specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at immunoregulatory genes.
Researchers at Tufts University used data and DNA from a previous vitamin E intervention study—200 IU/d of vitamin E or a placebo for one year—in elderly nursing home residents to examine vitamin E-gene interactions for incidence of RI (Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;92: 106-114).
The effect of vitamin E on lower RI depended on sex and the SNP at IL-10 –819GA. Subjects with the least prevalent genotypes at IL-2 –330AC, IL-10 –819GA and IL-10 –1082CT had a lower incidence of RI independent of vitamin E supplementation.
The researchers concluded: “Studies that evaluate the effect of vitamin E on RIs should consider both genetic factors and sex because our results suggest that both may have a significant bearing on the efficacy of vitamin E. Furthermore, common SNPs at cytokine genes may contribute to the individual risk of RIs in the elderly."
See original article here
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NPA Calls Consumer Reports Article 'An Attack on Supplements' |
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Wednesday, 04 August 2010 09:50 |
NPA Calls Consumer Reports Article 'An Attack on Supplements'
States that the story’s data are questionable
The Natural Products Association has issued the following statement concerning the September 2010 issue of Consumer Reports magazine:
- The latest edition of Consumer Reports is an attack on dietary supplements -- including a call for additional regulation of the industry -- that presents a far from balanced and accurate representation of the industry or the laws that regulate it.
- For example, a number of the mentioned products are actually illegal drugs – not supplements, and only available from those violating the laws. (See: FDA: Dietary Supplement Alerts and Safety Information)
- The NPA questions the data Consumer Reports is using to suggest the dietary supplement industry suffers from inadequate quality controls. In actuality, evidence from the government suggests the contrary. Earlier this year, the U.S.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) tested a number of products finding only trace amounts of contaminants, leading the FDA to testify before Congress that “we do not believe these levels represent a significant risk to health.” It is curious that Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports and also a witness at that hearing, did not mention this testimony in the article.
- The U.S. supplement industry has an enviable safety record, especially when compared with other FDA-regulated sectors, and the industry has supported and continues to support measures to make supplements even safer.
- NPA supported enactment of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).
- NPA supported enactment of the legislation creating the Adverse Event Reporting system.
- NPA supported implementation by the Food and Drug Administration of Good Manufacturing Practices, even launching our own GMP certification program in 1999.
- NPA supports the full implementation of DSHEA - including providing additional resources for these agencies. To that end, NPA endorses S. 3414, the Dietary Supplement Full Implementation and Enforcement Act of 2010, introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT).
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About the Natural Products Association
Founded in 1936, the Natural Products Association is the nation's largest and oldest non-profit organization dedicated to the natural products industry. The Natural Products Association represents more than 10,000 retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors of natural products, including foods, dietary supplements, and health/beauty aids.
www.NPAinfo.org
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4 Vitamins That Can Save Your Life - D,C,E,B |
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Wednesday, 04 August 2010 07:01 |
4 Vitamins That Can Save Your Life
By Sylvia Booth Hubbard
#3 - Vitamin E
A powerful antioxidant, vitamin E boosts immunity and helps neutralize free radicals that damage cells and lead to many illnesses including Alzheimer's, cancer, and diabetes. Vitamin E is composed of eight subtypes: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols.
A recent study found that high levels of vitamin E in the blood reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in old age, and a study at Cornell University and Brigham and Women's Hospital discovered that regular use of vitamin E lowers the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Several large studies have suggested that vitamin E reduces the risk of heart attack in both men and women. Experts believe vitamin E lowers the risk of stroke and coronary artery disease by reducing cholesterol and plaque buildup, and a recent study found that tocotrienols can prevent nerve cells from dying following a stroke — at least in mice.
Studies have shown that tocotrienols can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells by as much as 50 percent.
Vitamin E is found in whole grains, nuts, vegetable oils, liver, egg yolk, and avocado. The RDA is 30 IU, but Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of The Blaylock Wellness Report, recommends 1,000 IU of natural mixed tocopherols daily.
People who take blood thinners should consult with their physician before taking vitamin E supplements because the nutrient can act as an anti-coagulant and possibly increase the risk of bleeding.
Read full article here.
A.C. GRACE COMPANY NOTE:
UNIQUE E MIXED TOCOPHEROLS sofgels contain 400 I.U. of alpha-tocopherol (the only vitamin E homologue used to calculate I.U. [international units]), but also contain at least 300mg of gamma-tocopherol and proprietary amounts of beta- and delta-tocopherol -- providing a full spectrum of ALL tocopherols mixed for maximum potency and vitamin E benefit.
We also provide UNIQUE E TOCOTRIENOL -- derived from the Annatto plant, containing 125mg of high delta-tocotrienol with gamma-tocotrienol. Our tocotrienol contains NO TOCOPHEROLS which have been shown to inhibit absorption of tocotrienols.
We suggest taking UNIQUE E MIXED TOCOPHEROLS with your morning meal and UNIQUE E TOCOTRIENOLS with your evening meal.
Another important note about UNIQUE E Vitamin E products -- they DO NOT CONTAIN ANY SOURCE OILS, COLORS, FILLERS, SOY PROTEIN, GLUTEN -- nothing but pure viamin E oil.
High levels of vitamin E in the blood reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in old age, says a new study. Italian and Swedish researchers found that several components of vitamin E helped prevent cognitive deterioration in people 80 years of age and older.
"Vitamin E is a family of eight natural components, but most studies related to Alzheimer's disease investigate only one of these components, tocopherol," Dr. Francesca Mangialasche, who led the study, said in a statement. "We hypothesized that all the vitamin E family members could be important in protecting against AD. If confirmed, this result has implications for both individuals and society, as 70 percent of all dementia cases in the general population occur in people more than 75 years of age, and the study suggests a protective effect of vitamin E against AD in individuals aged 80 plus."
The researchers studied 232 people who were 80 years or older and were free of dementia at the beginning of the study. After six years, they identified 57 cases of Alzheimer's disease.
At the beginning of the study, the blood levels of all eight natural components of vitamin E were measured. People with higher blood levels were compared with those subjects who had lower blood levels. The scientists found that seniors with the higher blood levels of all the forms of vitamin E reduced their risk of developing Alzheimer's by 45 to 54 percent, depending on the levels of specific components.
Mangialasche noted that the protective effect of vitamin E appears to be related to the combination of the different forms. Along this line, another recent study suggested that supplements containing high doses of the tocopherol component of vitamin E may increase mortality, indicating that such dietary supplements, if not balanced in the body, may be more harmful than previously thought.
"Elderly people as a group are large consumers of vitamin E supplements, which usually contain only tocopherol, and this is often at high doses," says Mangialasche. "Our findings need to be confirmed by other studies, but they open up the possibility that the balanced presence of different vitamin E forms can have an important neuroprotective effect."
According to the Alzheimer's Association, 5.3 million Americans have the disease, and it is the seventh leading cause of death. |
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Vitamin E–Rich Foods May Reduce Long-Term Risk for Dementia |
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Monday, 26 July 2010 08:35 |
Vitamin E–Rich Foods May Reduce Long-Term Risk for Dementia
Allison Gandey
July 22, 2010 — Vitamin E may play a modest role in altering the course of dementia, say researchers. Compared with participants with the lowest intake, investigators found that those patients with higher vitamin E intake were 25% less likely to develop dementia.
"When beta-amyloid — a hallmark of pathologic Alzheimer disease — accumulates in the brain, an inflammatory response is likely evoked that produces nitric oxide radicals and downstream neurodegenerative effects," report investigators led by Elizabeth Devore, ScD, from the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
"Vitamin E is a powerful fat-soluble antioxidant that may help to inhibit the pathogenesis of dementia."
Number of Alzheimer cases by dietary vitamin E intake.
The results appear in the July issue of the Archives of Neurology and suggest that dietary antioxidants affect the early stages of dementia.
Vitamin E is found in whole-grain foods, eggs, milk, nuts, seeds, avocado, spinach, and unheated vegetable oils. The Rotterdam Study previously found that higher dietary intakes of vitamins E and C were associated with a lower risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
In this new long-term follow-up of the Rotterdam Study, investigators followed participants for 9.6 years. The population-based prospective cohort study included 5395 people free of disease at baseline.
A total of 465 people developed dementia. Of these, 365 were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The investigators found that higher dietary intake of vitamin E, but not vitamin C, beta carotene, or flavonoids, was associated with lower long-term risk for dementia.
These results conflict with previous findings, which suggested a link between vitamin C intake and dementia risk. "The result was modest in our analysis," note the investigators, who reported a hazard ratio of 0.66 (95% confidence interval, 0.44 - 1.00). "Chance is the most likely explanation," they add. "Alternatively, vitamin C intake could be important exclusively at later stages of dementia development, but this is less likely because results of previous studies suggest that dietary antioxidants affect early stages of dementia pathogenesis."
Long-Term Prospective Study
The investigators adjusted for age, education, apolipoprotein E ε4 genotype, total energy, alcohol intake, smoking habits, body mass index, and supplement use. They found that higher vitamin E intake at study baseline was associated with lower long-term risk for dementia (P = .02 for trend).
Asked by Medscape Medical News to comment, Maria Carrillo, PhD, senior director of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer's Association, pointed out the National Institutes of Health have been calling for long-term prospective studies such as this one. "These are important studies, and this one was conducted by a fantastic, internationally renowned group."
Dr. Carrillo acknowledged the finding is preliminary — it is still too early for specific recommendations on vitamin E intake, and excessive use can have negative cardiovascular effects, she said.
"Future studies should continue to evaluate dietary intake of antioxidants relative to dementia risk," note the investigators, "including different points at which antioxidant intake might modulate risk."
This study was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, the National Institutes of Health, and a US Fulbright Fellowship to the Netherlands. The researchers have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Arch Neurol. 2010;67:819-825. Abstract
High levels of vitamin E in the blood reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in old age, says a new study. Italian and Swedish researchers found that several components of vitamin E helped prevent cognitive deterioration in people 80 years of age and older.
"Vitamin E is a family of eight natural components, but most studies related to Alzheimer's disease investigate only one of these components, tocopherol," Dr. Francesca Mangialasche, who led the study, said in a statement. "We hypothesized that all the vitamin E family members could be important in protecting against AD. If confirmed, this result has implications for both individuals and society, as 70 percent of all dementia cases in the general population occur in people more than 75 years of age, and the study suggests a protective effect of vitamin E against AD in individuals aged 80 plus."
The researchers studied 232 people who were 80 years or older and were free of dementia at the beginning of the study. After six years, they identified 57 cases of Alzheimer's disease.
At the beginning of the study, the blood levels of all eight natural components of vitamin E were measured. People with higher blood levels were compared with those subjects who had lower blood levels. The scientists found that seniors with the higher blood levels of all the forms of vitamin E reduced their risk of developing Alzheimer's by 45 to 54 percent, depending on the levels of specific components.
Mangialasche noted that the protective effect of vitamin E appears to be related to the combination of the different forms. Along this line, another recent study suggested that supplements containing high doses of the tocopherol component of vitamin E may increase mortality, indicating that such dietary supplements, if not balanced in the body, may be more harmful than previously thought.
"Elderly people as a group are large consumers of vitamin E supplements, which usually contain only tocopherol, and this is often at high doses," says Mangialasche. "Our findings need to be confirmed by other studies, but they open up the possibility that the balanced presence of different vitamin E forms can have an important neuroprotective effect."
According to the Alzheimer's Association, 5.3 million Americans have the disease, and it is the seventh leading cause of death. |
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