Winnipeg, MB — November 17, 2004 - With the recent media furor regarding a study claiming that high doses of Vitamin E do more harm than good, consumers are bound to be confused and concerned about their Vitamin E usage. Vita Health Products would like to ensure that consumers balance this viewpoint with the extensive body of peer reviewed studies that show scientifically proven benefits to Vitamin E consumption.

Vitamin E is one of 13 vitamins essential to body metabolism, cell growth and function.  Also known as tocopherol, it is an antioxidant important in the formation of red blood cells and neutralizing unstable molecules that can damage healthy cells and genetic material.

The results from the John Hopkins study that has caused the recent media onslaught came from a meta-analysis (statistical review) that combined data on 135,967 patients in 19 separate studies. The combined results of the study indicated an increase risk of non-specific mortality for patients who took more than 400 IU (international units) of Vitamin E per day.  It is important to note that only nine of the studies analyzed had people taking vitamin E alone, and that 18 of the 19 studies analyzed had no statistically significant increase in mortality.

The full meta-analysis, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, clearly indicates, “high dosage trials evaluated as part of the meta-analysis were often small and were performed in patients with chronic diseases”. The generalization of the findings to healthy adults is uncertain. 

The Council for Responsible Nutrition; a U.S. trade association states that this meta analysis “inappropriately tries to draw conclusions for the whole population based on a combination of studies of people who were already at grave risk with existing diseases including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and kidney failure1”. 

The study also failed to review the years of clinical research that shows that Vitamin E supplementation is safe and effective.  Two of the more well-known studies showing Vitamin E’s effectiveness include the Nurses Health Study2 and the All-Male Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study3.  In the Nurses Health Study, use of a vitamin E supplement was associated with an adjusted risk reduction of 37% for major coronary heart disease after 8 years of follow-up.  In the All-Male Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study, an adjusted risk reduction of 25% was observed for incident coronary disease when supplement users were compared with nonusers after 4 years.

“We want the word to get out to Canadians that regularly consume Vitamin E, that years of clinical research with over 200 positive studies shows that Vitamin E supplementation is safe.  The conclusions of the researchers were broad in that they extrapolated their results across the whole population even though most of the study participants were over 60 and suffering from major illnesses.  Further, the trials that were reviewed may not have used the same form of Vitamin E, so blanket conclusions are risky,” states Stephanie Haverstick, Vice-President of Quality and Compliance, Vita Health Products.  “We support NDMAC’s (National Drug Manufacturers Association of Canada) position to develop a joint response with NHPD (Natural Health Products Directorate) and to ensure there is a more balanced reporting of the results when the researchers publish the full study in January.”

1) Council for Responsible Nutrition. CRN Questions Conclusions Reached by Researchers in Recent Vitamin E Meta-Analysis , Press Release 11-10-04 (www.crnusa.org).

2) Stampfer MJ, Hennekens CH, Manson JE, Colditz GA, Rosner B, Willet WC. Vitamin E consumption and the risk of coronary disease in women. New England Journal of Medicine 1993; 328:1444-9.

3) Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Ascherio A, Giovannucci E, Colditz GA, Willett WC. Vitamin E consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease in men. N Engl J Med. 1993;328(20):1450-6.