WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT “VITAMIN E” MAY BE WRONG..When most people talk about Vit E (physicians included) most are referring to the alpha tocopherol version of Vit E. However, Vit E actually has 8 forms (4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols). Alpha tocopherol is what is present in almost all low quality Vit E supplements, and yet the gamma form of tocopherol is more common in nature and is a more potent antioxidant. The reason why the alpha form came to be used in all the supplements is that this was the compound that was found to allow rats to give live births (hence “tocos” meaning childbirth and “phero” meaning to bring). If rats were having more babies, alpha tocopherol must be…an aphrodisiac! Hence it was born… Ironically, giving higher levels of the alpha form lowers levels of the gamma form in the bloodstream, making this the likely mechanism by which we see small increases in heart attacks in large Vit E supplementation trials. Physicians who are unaware of how Vit E works have mistakenly told their patients to stop taking Vit E. This is strongly incorrect. The other forms of Vit E are potent antioxidants, and in this animal study with see that the other forms of Vit E are very protective of the brain in the case of seizures and migraines. So, do not avoid Vit E, but this is definitely a vitamin worth spending the extra money on.
Vitamin E and Its Benefits
James Bogash
For more than a decade, Dr. Bogash has stayed current with the medical literature as it relates to physiology, disease prevention and disease management. He uses his knowledge to educate patients, the community and cyberspace on the best way to avoid and / or manage chronic diseases using lifestyle and targeted supplementation.
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Categories: Vitamin E, Vitamins, Vitamins and Supplements 101
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