Make sure you are using fully natural vitamin E, no synthetics: "The hell with dl"
Despite the occasional negative publicity surrounding vitamin E, this
nutrient has proven itself time and again to be one amazing
antioxidant. Case in point: Research published earlier this year in the
Journal of the American Medical Association has shown that vitamin E can help slow functional decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
1
This development is particularly significant since no
cure for Alzheimer’s exists—only treatments to slow the
progression
of the disease. Currently, two main classes of drugs are approved for
Alzheimer’s treatment: cholinesterase inhibitors (such as Aricept®,
Exelon® and Razadyne®) and memantine (Namenda®).
These drugs may treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s—like memory loss
and problems with reasoning—but they also have their fair share of
troublesome side effects, including nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite,
increased bowel movements, headache and dizziness.
Researchers have found, however, that vitamin E may actually work
better than certain conventional treatments in slowing cognitive
decline.
In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study,
investigators wanted to determine the effectiveness of vitamin E,
mematine or a combination of the two in slowing the progression of mild
to moderate Alzheimer’s disease in patients already taking a
cholinesterase inhibitor like Aricept®.
Participants received 2,000 IU vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) per day,
20 mg memantine per day, a combination of the two or a placebo.
At the end of the five-year study period, the researchers analyzed
data from 561 of the participants (140 taking vitamin E, 142 taking
memantine, 139 using the combination treatment and 140 on placebo). They
found that the group given the vitamin E had a delay in clinical
progression of the disease of 19 percent per year (in other words, a
delay of 6.2 months) compared to the placebo group.
In addition, those in the vitamin E group did not demand increased attention from caregivers.
More importantly, contrary to other studies that have implicated
vitamin E as the cause of increased mortality—especially at higher doses
2-3—this
study actually concluded that vitamin E has a good safety profile, with
greater death frequency in the groups that took the memantine or the
vitamin E/memantine combination than the vitamin E group.
In conclusion, the researchers wrote that, among patients with mild
to moderate Alzheimer’s, “2,000 IU/day of alpha tocopherol compared with
placebo resulted in slower functional decline. There were no
significant differences in the groups receiving memantine alone or
memantine plus alpha tocopherol. These findings suggest benefit of alpha
tocopherol in mild to moderate Alzheimers disease by slowing functional
decline and decreasing caregiver burden.”
This isn’t the first study to praise vitamin E’s brain-protective
powers. Another study showed that people with the highest plasma levels
of total vitamin E, total tocopherols and total tocotrienols had a
reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to those with
the lowest levels.
4
Specifically, people with the highest plasma total vitamin E or total
tocopherols had a 45 percent decreased risk of developing the disease,
and those with the highest total tocotrienols had a 54 percent reduction
in risk, as compared to people with the lowest levels.
Is E an Option for You?
Only a qualified medical professional—ideally one with vast knowledge
in nutritional supplementation—can determine whether or not high doses
of vitamin E would be appropriate for you or your loved one with
Alzheimer’s.
The recommended daily allowance for healthy adults is a meager 22.4
IU, but tolerable upper intake levels go as high as 1,500 IU.
5 The
JAMA study used 2,000 IU. For general brain and memory health/maintenance, 400 IU per day should suffice.
In many cases, the risks of disease progression far outweigh any
potential risks of taking high doses of certain drugs or supplements—but
only you and your doctor can make that determination. But, as this
study shows, vitamin E offers great promise, and its potential should
not be ignored.
References:
- Dysken MW, et al. JAMA. 2014 Jan 1;311(1):33-44.
- Miller ER 3rd, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2005 Jan 4;142(1):37-46.
- Boothby LA and Doering PL. Ann Pharmacother. 2005 Dec;39(12):2073-80.
- Mangialasche F, et al. J Alzheimers Dis. 2010;20(4):1029-37.
- Institute of Medicine. http://iom.edu/Activities/Nutrition/SummaryDRIs/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/DRIs/New%20Material/4_%20UL%20Values_Vitamins%20and%20Elements.pdf.
SOURCE: Larissa Long
Selections from
Natural Health News
Dec 27, 2009
Increased
oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction have been identified as
common pathophysiological phenomena associated with neurodegenerative
disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease ...
Sep 12, 2010
Cancer,
Alzheimer's · Flaraxin is effective in 90% of oncologic diseases.
Alzheimer's = Flaraxin + B3
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/alzheimers-what-you-wont-see-on-hbo.html.
Posted by herbalYODA at 11:56.
Jan 10, 2009
LONDON
– Anti-psychotic drugs commonly used to treat Alzheimer's disease may
double a patient's chance of dying within a few years, suggests a new
study that adds to concerns already known about such medications.
Jan 11, 2010
According
to the report, the equivalent of fluoridated drinking water in terms of
elemental fluorine levels had an impact on brain tissue similar to the
pathological changes found in humans with Alzheimer's and other forms
of ...
Oct 12, 2011
My
experience with these reports and the studies is that there are
problems from the outset; the first being the use of SYNTHETIC vitamins
(in this case dl-alpha tocopherol or synthetic vitamin E). This is the
first mistake.
Aug 16, 2010
I
think it would be a great service to patients with pain, FMS, and
neuropathy if SIM started a study to show you just how effective natural
vitamin E can be to prevent and reverse neuropathy. Contact us FMI, and
be sure to ...
Jan 23, 2008
Over
the past several years there have been numerous reports trying to
convince you that vitamin E is bad for health. One public television
station even aired a program with panelist from a local Spokane WA area
hospital ...
Sep 10, 2007
This
is how you get confused, especially if you do to know the history of
vitamin E and it's use to prevent are reverse heart disease (the medical
studies on this date back to the 1940s and 50s). Natural vitamin E
(listed on a ...
