Re: VITAMIN E CAN KILL

From: Dr. Zarkov (Ming_at_Mongo.com)
Date: 11/13/04 

Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 10:32:41 -0500

"GMCarter" <fiar@verizon.net> wrote
> ...
> >Vitamin E can kill
> >
> >Washington (ANI) - Taking Vitamin E health supplements in
> >excess can be a health hazard rather than a benefit,
> >according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University use
> >of high-dose vitamin E supplements, in excess of 400 IU
> >(international units), is associated with a higher
> >overall risk of dying.
>
> Well, this is spinning modest data that suggest a possible risk and
> turning it into hysteria. Below is my response to another, less
> polemical review of the meta-analysis the Hopkins group undertook.

The Annals of Internal Medicine article doesn't seem to be available yet.
All I could find was news reports of what was presented at the meeting. How
did they do the meta-analysis? Did they correct for possible confounding
factors?

> On 10 Nov 2004 21:29:53 GMT, markd@toad-net.com wrote:
>
> >
> >I fear your view of "bad" doesn't match the principle study, a closer
> >reading finds:
>
> snipped review of most relevant study--
> > The supplement biz is a 15,000,000,000 dallor a year biz
> >and the pharma companies are as eager to make money as the next. One
> >wouldn't be surprised if the proffit margin greater with the supplement
> >biz.
>
> This is true. Indeed, one of the biggest manufacturers is
> Hoffmann-LaRoche. What was more interesting to me was:
>
> "He says there are several theories about why vitamin E increases
> risk.
> One theory is that it increases bleeding risk, which would increase
> the risk of a type of stroke, while another theory suggests that at
> high doses vitamin E stops working like an antioxidant, removing
> harmful molecules in the body, and instead becomes a pro-oxidant,
> actually promoting the production of harmful molecules.
>
> Still another scenario suggests that high doses of vitamin E tend to
> wipe out other antioxidants, which disrupts the body's natural
> antioxidant protection system."
>
> This gets more to the issue, I think. These data are not dissimilar
> from the findings of the dangers of beta carotene.
>
> Well, I think that makes sense. Anyone who knows even the most general
> science of oxidative stress will realize that these individual agents
> work as antioxidants for a specific oxdiant. They then must be reduced
> by another antioxidant. So they work in tight knit cycles.
>
> Thinking in the framework of "one drug for one condition" (let alone a
> bug/infectious disease) in this context is really moronically stupid.
> And it is little wonder that people who take high dose Vitamin E or
> beta carotene fare poorly. Indeed, it's rather suprising to me that
> the increased mortality risk is so low!
>
> By contrast, using an array of antioxidants makes MUCH more sense. A
> case in point is the studies of beta carotene in HIV disease, some
> studies for preventing mother-to-child transmission. In those studies,
> no benefit was found. No surprise. However, recent studies of the use
> of a MULTIVITAMIN showed much better effect. Indeed, HIV disease
> progression was slowed by 30%.
>
> That's because you get a full array of the elements of the oxidative
> stress cycles that provide a balance: vitamins A, C, E, the B
> vitamins, selenium, zinc. A good potent multi I think is an important
> cornerstone of therapy. One might add to that agents like NAC, alpha
> lipoic acid and other enhancers of glutathione, catalase and the SODs.
>
> And don't forget that both the vitamins A and E used are a restricted
> chemical whereas in nature, one consumes a variety of carotenoids,
> tocopherols and tocopheryls.
>
> Indeed. Don't just take Vitamin E. Just take a good quality, decently
> potent multi if you wish to supplement.
>
> George M. Carter
>

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Vitamin E dangerous?
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    (soc.culture.singapore)
  • Re: Beta-carotene ? Vitamin B ? Huh ?
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  • Re: Greater Regulation of Nutritional Supplements Not Justified (But You Must Take Action To Prevent
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    (misc.health.alternative)
  • Re: VITAMIN E CAN KILL
    ... synthetic racemic vitamin E versus ... >> risk. ... >> from the findings of the dangers of beta carotene. ... >> work as antioxidants for a specific oxdiant. ...
    (sci.med)