Vitamin E - an important element

Vitamin E - an important element
Benefit

vitamin E Vitamin E is one of the most important antioxidants for the human body. Public attention turned to the antioxidants in the 1980s, when scientists began to realize that free radicals cause damage that can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis - when problems with blood vessels , Cancer, vision problems, and a number of chronic diseases. Since then there have been many studies in which, in particular, it became clear how effective the Vitamin E in the prevention of various diseases.

Vitamin E and Heart Disease

Until recently, vitamin supplements Vitamins for everyone E is considered to be guaranteed an effective means for the prevention of heart disease. The promising results of the study suggest that the people who, at least for two years taking capsules with vitamin E (containing 400 IU of vitamin or more) chance of developing coronary heart disease is reduced by 20% -40%.

However, the results of studies conducted in recent years, considerably tempered enthusiasm for vitamin E . Observations of two tens of thousands of subjects for several years have not confirmed that vitamin E can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease . However, a significant portion of the participants in these studies were people who had previously been diagnosed with certain cardiovascular diseases . Supplementation with vitamin E did not reduce the likelihood of recurrence or occurrence of other diseases of the heart, but some experts suggest that aspirin, beta-blockers and other drugs that often take such a patient may mask a weaker effect of vitamin E . However, studies involving only healthy people have given mixed results: in some of the subjects taking vitamin E, the risk of heart disease actually decreased, while the other remained at an average level .

Another study showed that supplementation with vitamin E may reduce by 24% the risk of severe heart disease Heart disease - symptoms of heart disease (including heart attack) in women over 65 years. It was also found that vitamin E reduces the likelihood of clot formation in women at increased risk of developing diseases associated with thrombus formation.

In general, the data on the efficacy of vitamin E as a means for the prevention of heart disease remains controversial, and research in this area continues.

Vitamin E and cancer

In numerous studies have failed to establish that vitamin E can be effectively used for the prevention of cancer. The results of only one study suggests that vitamin E supplements may prevent the development of prostate cancer in smokers, but has not yet been confirmed.

Vitamin E and other diseases

Age-related eye diseases. In patients who are at least six years of age are vitamin E combined with vitamin C, beta-carotene, zinc and decreases the probability of developing macular degeneration, but not cataract. Reception of vitamin E, no other vitamins and minerals, apparently has no effect on the risk of age-related eye diseases.

Dementia. Results of some studies have suggested that vitamin E, particularly in combination with vitamin C may slightly improve cognitive functions, and to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. According to the results of one study, which lasted for three years, which was attended by people with slight cognitive impairment (which is often a precursor to Alzheimer's disease), receiving 2,000 IU of vitamin E daily did not reduce the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease. Note, however, that this disease develops a long time, for many years, and three years is not enough to understand how the reception of a particular additive effect on its progression. While experts believe that vitamin E can still reduce the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease, but to guarantee the effectiveness of preventive treatment, of course, impossible.

Parkinson's disease. Studies have shown that consumption of large amounts of vitamin E from food (not with food additives) reduces the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. It is unclear why food additives are not so effective, but it is expected that foods rich in vitamin E contains other substances (which are not food additive) facilitating the prevention of this disease.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The study, in which for sixteen years, scientists have observed in approximately one million patients, it was found that regular use of vitamin E supplements reduces the probability of death due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis compared with people who did not take vitamin E. It the result was confirmed by the analysis of case histories of more than a million patients: it turned out that the longer people take vitamin E, the less the likelihood that he will develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, if a person is already showing signs of the disease, vitamin E is unlikely to slow down its development, although research in this area continues, and perhaps we are waiting for new discoveries.