A benchmark review of studies of Vitamin E's effect on heart disease has concluded that supplementary use of Vitamin E "appears prudent now."
Source:	Food for the Future
Date:	January 28, 2000
BATON ROUGE, La., Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- A benchmark review of studies of Vitamin E's effect on heart disease has concluded that supplementary use of Vitamin E "appears prudent now." Noting "the difficulty in obtaining more than about 30 IU (international units) a day from a balanced diet," Dr. William A. Pryor, director of the Biodynamics Institute at Louisiana State University, writes in the current issue of the journal, Free Radical Biology and Medicine: " ... Vitamin E provides protection against a number of medical conditions including some that are indicative of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) ... " "Vitamin E supplementation also produces an improvement in the immune system and protection against diseases other than cardiovascular disease (such as prostate cancer)." Dr. Pryor pointed out that "about one half of American cardiologists take supplemental Vitamin E, about the same number as take aspirin." "In fact, one study suggests that aspirin plus Vitamin E is more effective than aspirin alone." Dr. Pryor analyzed studies on the effect of Vitamin E on heart disease, "studies encompassing basic science, animal studies, epidemiological and observational studies, and four intervention trials." While "there are a substantial number of trials involving Vitamin E that are in progress," Dr. Pryor concluded from his review that there will never be a time when the science is complete, and that the mounting evidence shows that Vitamin E is effective in preventing heart disease. "The scientific community must recognize that there never will be a time when the science is 'complete' ... At some point the weight of the scientific evidence must be judged adequate. Although some may regard it as early to that judgement now, clearly we are very close." In view of the difficulty of obtaining sufficient Vitamin E from regular diets, Dr. Pryor concluded that "some supplementation appears prudent now." SOURCE Foods for the Future © PR Newswire. All rights reserved