Originally published July 21 2005
Columnist casts doubt over Vitamin E's negative press
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Vitamin E was hailed as a health dynamo in the supplement world at first, but research that portrayed vitamin E in a negative light cut its popularity to a fraction, so Bryant Stamford decided to investigate how fair and precise this research was for his Detroit News column.
Vitamin E was, until recently, viewed as a big shot in the supplement world.
Then a report came out criticizing vitamin E, and folks backed off in droves.
Free radicals will steal an electron from any nearby compound, causing a chain reaction that leaves a path of destruction.
An antioxidant like vitamin E can intervene and "donate" an electron to a free radical, thus neutralizing the destructive process.
Recently, a research study was published that reviewed the accumulated evidence surrounding long-term vitamin E supplementation.
For one thing, this study was a review of 19 existing studies and produced no new evidence.
In addition, many scientists have raised questions about the accuracy of the study (its statistical analysis) and the fact that the media grossly overstated results to create sensational headlines.
One possibility under consideration is that vitamin E may be helpful but not in supplement form.
Overall, these latest results would appear to place vitamin E in a similar category with most other supplements.
That doesn't mean the case is closed.
On the contrary -- because supplements do not receive the same level of scrutiny and attention as profit-making prescription drugs, there may be benefits that have yet to be determined.
The financial support for research on supplements, such as vitamin E, comes from federal grant dollars, which are drops in the bucket compared with the tens of millions invested on studying prescriptions.
As you have seen over the years, flip-flopping on health and medical issues is not uncommon as new evidence becomes available.
Most are being cautious about vitamin E supplements, but those who continue to encourage supplementation support reducing the original suggested dosage of about 250 milligrams to half that amount.
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