FHN Complementary Medicine Monthly Newsletter September 2004
Does Vit E Cause heart failure?
Vitamin E has had a long and controversial history as a potential treatment for heart disease. While there are some large scale studies that have shown Vit E to be beneficial, there are others that haven’t. The HOPE trial is the first to suggest that Vit E may actually increase certain types of heart disease.
All the studies for heart disease have used alpha tocopherol or dl alpha tocopherol. Vitamin E in nature has four isomers; alpha , beta, gamma, and delta tocopherols.
More and more research is showing that it is the gamma tocopherol that has cardioprotective effect. Furthermore large doses of alpha tocopherol results in a decline in serum gamma tocopherol. Epidemiological studies of natural (from food, mixed tocopherols) versus synthetic(alpha alone) Vit E have shown that natural works synthetic doesn’t.
So before you stop taking your Vit E try a mixed tocopherol in proportions that are found in food.
Drs. Glenn and Julie Smith
Complementary Medicine
