Go Easy on the Vitamin E

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Johns Hopkins researchers want the millions of Americans who take vitamin E supplements to be concerned about the perceived health benefits. The findings of their new study show high-dose vitamin E supplements, in excess of 400 international units a day, is associated with a higher overall risk of early death.

Authors of the study suggest people taking a multivitamin be sure it contains a low dose of vitamin E. Multivitamin pills usually have 30 international units to 60 international units of vitamin E. It’s unclear whether low amounts (200 international units per day or less) of vitamin E supplements increase a person’s risk of early death.

Vitamin E capsules typically contain 400 international units to 800 international units. Current U.S. dietary guidelines do not recommend vitamin E supplementation. However, the guidelines set a maximum tolerable intake of 1,500 international units per day. Investigators suggest government regulators lower this level to an upper limit of 400 international units daily.

Investigators re-analyzed raw data from 19 major clinical trials, involving more than 136,000 patients in North America, Europe and China.

Vitamin E is one of 13 vitamins essential to body metabolism, cell growth and function. On average, dietary intake of vitamin E is 10 international units per day. Other sources of the vitamin include wheat germ, corn, nuts, seeds, olives, spinach, asparagus, and vegetable oils.

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SOURCE: Annals of Internal Medicine, published online Nov. 10, 2004