As stated above, this meta-analysis sparked much controversy, and for sound medical reasons too. So many, in fact, that the Dietary Supplement Information Bureau created a separate page with a Web page full links that question the findings.

Among the many problems with the meta-analysis:

• Because researchers studied older patients who had chronic illnesses, their vitamin E warnings may not be wise for younger, healthier people to follow
• The shaky nature of the meta-analysis itself -- a review of other studies including some more than a decade old -- may have have tainted the findings
• American dietary guidelines lean to more conservative numbers
• Vitamin E comes in variety of forms, both natural and synthetic, with varying effects. None of these variances were addressed in the study

I found Dr. Aileen Burford-Mason's comments embellished two of the above points about the meta-analysis so succintly, they really hit the nail on the head. "But a major problem with this approach is that a good meta-analysis of badly designed studies still results in bad statistics. Statisticians have a saying for this: 'Garbage in equals garbage out.' In the case of this study, the "garbage" involved failure to make sure that all the clinical trials analyzed in the same meta-analysis used the same form of vitamin E."

I strongly agree with Dr. Burford-Mason's other problem with the meta-analysis: "The only way we will know for sure if there are risks attached to taking vitamin E supplements is to evaluate the safety of natural and synthetic supplements separately. After all, if synthetic vitamin E has a detrimental effect, as has been suspected for some time, we need to know."

The vitamin E most often referred to and sold in most stores is a synthetic form called dl-alpha-tocopherol, and I DO NOT recommend synthetic vitamin E.

The optimal dose of vitamin E varies widely, from 100-800 units a day, depending on your metabolic type. (This is about half as much as the high upper limited cited in the article.)

Many Americans do not consume the optimal dosage of vitamin E. However, you cannot obtain vitamin E by taking it in a supplement form, such as a pill. That is why the best way to get your intake of this vitamin is through the consumption of food such as certain nuts and green leafy vegetables.

On the other hand, if you do supplement with vitamin E, Living Fuel Omega 3 & E comes with my highest recommendation. These are pure, very high-quality fish oil capsules that contain both the omega-3 that is so severely lacking in most people's diets (and are essential to help prevent heart disease) and full-spectrum vitamin E.

In addition to its powerful antioxidant properties, vitamin E:

• Reduces heart disease risk
• May lower risk of asthma and allergies
• May help treat menstrual pain
• Improves circulation in diabetics
• Helps prevent prostate and breast cancers
• Is good for your brain
• May help hot flashes

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