For the final installment of our preventing cardiovascular disease blog series, we will look at the research reports on vitamin E and cardiovascular disease.
High blood levels of vitamin E and high dietary intake of vitamin E, which can be obtained through NuMedica supplements, have been associated with a decreased risk of heart disease, stroke, and the heart plaquing processes. Taking at least 100 mg of vitamin E per day for two years has been shown to cause a significant decrease in the risk of heart disease. Many other studies have shown a strong relationship between low blood levels of vitamin E and heart disease. One study of 5,000 men and women aged 30 to 69 years over a 14-year period demonstrated that the more dietary vitamin E that was consumed, the lower the death rate from heart disease.
In a study of more than 121,000 females in the U.S., it was found that the higher the vitamin E levels, the lower the risk of death from heart disease. Another women’s health study showed that the more vitamin E consumed from the diet, the less risk of death from heart disease. This finding was supported by research that followed more than 34,000 women with similar results. Vitamin E intake has also been shown to decrease the progression of lesions found in the arteries of the heart.
There are many, many more studies that have similar findings. The point, however, is that vitamin E and vitamin C can help reduce the risk of heart disease as well as death rates from heart disease.
Q: In light of the evidence, do you think I should take vitamin E supplements?
A: As long as there are no contraindications in your medical history to vitamin E, it is my opinion that most, if not all, people should take a vitamin E supplement such as those from NuMedica supplements. Vitamin E has been shown to have a favorable effect on possible causes of heart disease, including the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, increased platelet adhesiveness, and arterial stiffness. Vitamin E can not only affect these causes, but can also stabilize and neutralize the free radicals previously mentioned that damage the heart tissue.
The higher the vitamin E levels in a person, the less likely the person will die from heart disease. Therefore, many experts believe that vitamin E supplements are useful in protecting against cardiovascular disease. For example, older people who take daily vitamin E supplements are 40% less likely to die from heart disease than those who do not. Many of the beneficial effects have been seen with a supplement dose of 200-500 IU per day.
Q: Are there other antioxidants that can benefit my heart?
A: Selenium is an important antioxidant that often works together with vitamin E. People who live in areas of the U.S. where selenium levels are low are three times more likely to die of heart disease than those living in states with high levels of selenium. Coenzyme Q10, ubiquinone is found in the mitochondria and plasma membranes, including low-density lipoproteins. It is involved in the production of ATP energy, acting as an electron acceptor and proton donor. In its reduced form, it is thought to regenerate vitamin E and act as an antioxidant. People who have heart disease appear to have low levels of ubiquinone. Studies have shown that patients with heart disease have 25% less CoQ10 in their blood compared to those without heart disease. In addition, ubiquinone has also been shown to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol better than vitamin E or beta-carotene. It can also lower blood pressure (another risk of CVD) and increase immune system activity by increasing immunoglobulin levels.
Some recommended supplements are: Protocol Gamma Vitamin E Complex, NeuroBiologix Selenomethionine, and Integrative Therapeutics UBQH 100mg.
We want you to have a healthy heart along with your general good health! Hopefully these pointers will be a help.
