Taking a vitamin E supplement may not give you the health benefits that you are looking for. Researchers found vitamin E is beneficial only if incorporated into certain foods, whereas pills taken separately have no benefit what so ever.
The research team tested four different types of breakfasts, which consisted of varying combinations of vitamin E supplements, breakfast cereals with and without vitamin E, and skim milk. The four separate tests and results were:
Participants were given a pill containing 400IU of vitamin E with a glass of skim milk, which was found to obtain almost no benefit.
Participants were given a serving of wheat breakfast cereal fortified with 400IU of vitamin E, which absorbed efficiently into their bloodstream and increased their blood plasma levels 90 percent.
Participants were given a serving of wheat breakfast cereal fortified with 30IU of vitamin E, which increased the blood plasma levels 15 percent.
Participants were given a serving of plain wheat breakfast cereal with a pill of 400IU vitamin, which was inconsistent. Some participants showed significant increase in blood plasma levels of vitamin E, while others showed none.
Researchers concluded that vitamin E from pills is poorly absorbed when consumed with a low-fat meal and that bioavailability can be enhanced by eating food that has been fortified with vitamin E.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition January, 2004;79(1):86-92
Controversies have surrounded vitamin E since its discovery in 1922 and the subsequent description of forms other than tocopherol that had some vitamin E biological activity. Currently, only alpha tocopherol has been shown to reverse human vitamin E deficiency symptoms, and alpha tocopherol is the only form of vitamin E that meets the year 2000 vitamin E recommended dietary allowance.
Many Americans do not consume vitamin E -- adequate diets. The lack of consistency in the outcomes of vitamin E supplement studies prompted the researchers to consider the hypothesis that the bioavailability of supplemental vitamin E is highly dependent on the way in which the supplement is consumed. And, the results were plain and clear, one cannot obtain vitamin E by taking it in a supplement form, such as a pill form, one must obtain vitamin E through the consumption of food.
What bothers me the most is, about half the country takes nutritional supplements, and I suspect the percentage is considerably higher for readers of this newsletter. And, my experience is that many people, if not most, take supplements to justify their poor food choices.
Most of the new patients I see are spending more than $100 a month on supplements, with some significantly higher than that. But supplements will not compensate for improper eating. Use the right food as your supplement and you will be much healthier and much more likely to obtain the real benefits of the vitamin. You can find vitamin E in certain nuts and green leafy vegetables. If you’re concerned that you’re not consuming enough vegetables, you can consider getting your vitamin E form the nutrient-dense superfood, Livng Fuel Rx Super Greens.
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