I remember when
I was an undergraduate, one of my professors spoke derisively of
Vitamin E as the vitamin in search of a disease. We knew that a
lack of Vitamin C caused scurvy a lack of Vitamin D resulted in
rickets, but lack of Vitamin E didn't seem to cause any disease.
So why was it a vitamin? Because experiments with rats showed that
they did not reproduce properly in the absence of this vitamin and
supposedly it was therefore needed by humans as well.
Well, eventually
a role for Vitamin E was found. When it was discovered that Vitamin
E as an antioxidant could neutralize these rogue substances in our
body called free radicals the Shute brothers who in the 1940's and
50's had suggested Vitamin E for the treatment of heart disease
all of a sudden seemed to be vindicated. In fact they were even
portrayed as visionaries, although way back then most orthodox scientist
said Vitamin E had absolutely nothing to do with heart disease.
But now, as an antioxidant, maybe it could work. And indeed studies
showed that it could.
Studies showed
that cataracts were less likely in people who took large intakes
of Vitamin E. There was a reduced incidence of strokes and
there was the famous Cambridge heart study which showed a 77% reduction
in heart attacks, non-fatal heart attacks mind you, in people who
took vitamin E supplements. The bandwagon was happily rolling along
until January 2000 when a study in the New England Journal of Medicine
threw a wrench into the spokes. What happened? Large study, 9000
people, people who had angina, hypertension, high cholesterol or
risk factors for heart disease and who for over 4 years had been
taking supplements of Vitamin E did no better than those who were
taking a placebo.
Well scientists
were puzzled over this, what was going on? Well, maybe Vitamin E
does it's job early on in life before there are any risk factors
that are present or maybe it has to be taken together with Vitamin
C. Because the antioxidant effects have to be balanced. In any case
one negative study does not wipe out all of the other positive studies
about Vitamin E, and one last point, researchers who are reticent
to recommend to people to take Vitamin E supplements in the absence
of really conclusive evidence, themselves usually take the stuff.
