{"id":1884,"date":"2017-01-23T08:16:43","date_gmt":"2017-01-23T16:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/?p=1884"},"modified":"2017-01-23T08:16:43","modified_gmt":"2017-01-23T16:16:43","slug":"vitamin-e-metabolic-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/2017\/01\/23\/vitamin-e-metabolic-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"Millions of People with Metabolic Syndrome May Need More Vitamin E"},"content":{"rendered":"

Research Also Uncovers a New, Better Way to Test for Vitamin E<\/h3>\n
\n \n
Almonds are a good source of vitamin E. Photo courtesy of healthaliciousness.com.<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

New research from Linus Pauling Institute Principal Investigator and\u00a0Ava Helen Pauling Professor\u00a0Maret Traber, Ph.D.<\/a>, has shown that people with metabolic syndrome need significantly more vitamin E \u2013 which could be a serious public health concern, in light of the millions of people who have this condition that\u2019s often related to obesity.<\/p>\n

The study, recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition<\/a>, also made it clear that conventional tests to measure vitamin E levels in the blood may have limited accuracy compared to tests made in research laboratories, to the point that conventional tests can actually mask an underlying problem.<\/p>\n

Vitamin E<\/a> \u2013 one of the more difficult micronutrients to obtain by dietary means \u2013 is an antioxidant important for cell protection. It also affects gene expression, immune function, aids in repair of wounds and the damage of atherosclerosis, is important for vision and neurologic function, and largely prevents fat from going rancid.<\/p>\n

Nutrition surveys have estimated that 92 percent of men and 96 percent of women in the United States fail to get an adequate daily intake of vitamin E in their diet. It is found at high levels in almonds, wheat germ, various seeds and oils, and at much lower levels in some vegetables and salad greens, such as spinach and kale.<\/p>\n

This study was done by Traber’s lab at Oregon State University in conjunction with\u00a0the Human Nutrition Program at The Ohio State University, as a double-blind, crossover clinical trial focusing on vitamin E levels in people with metabolic syndrome. It was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Dairy Council and DSM Nutrition.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe research showed that people with metabolic syndrome need about 30-50 percent more vitamin E than those who are generally healthy,\u201d said Traber.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIn previous work we showed that people with metabolic syndrome had lower bioavailability of vitamin E. Our current work uses a novel approach to measure how much vitamin E the body needs. This study clearly demonstrates that people with metabolic syndrome need a higher intake of this vitamin.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 30 percent of the American public are obese, and more than 25 percent of the adults in the United States meet the criteria for metabolic syndrome, putting them at significantly increased risk for cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes \u2013 primary causes of death in the developed world.<\/p>\n

That syndrome is defined by diagnosis of three or more of several conditions, including abdominal obesity, elevated lipids, high blood pressure, pro-inflammatory state, a pro-thrombotic state and insulin resistance or impaired glucose tolerance.<\/p>\n

This research, for the first time, also clearly outlined a flaw with conventional approaches to measuring vitamin E.<\/p>\n

\n \"blood\n
Conventional blood tests to assess vitamin E levels may not be adequate. Photo courtesy of Thirteen of Clubs.<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

By \u201clabeling\u201d vitamin E with deuterium, a stable isotope of hydrogen, scientists were able to measure the amount of the micronutrient that was eliminated by the body, compared to the intake. The advanced research laboratory tests, which are not available to the general public, showed that people with metabolic syndrome retained 30-50 percent more vitamin E than healthy people \u2013 showing that they needed it. When the body doesn\u2019t need vitamin E, the excess is excreted.<\/p>\n

But in the group with metabolic syndrome, even as their tissues were taking up and retaining the needed vitamin E, their blood levels by conventional measurement appeared about the same as those of a normal, healthy person.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve discovered that vitamin E levels often look normal in the blood, because this micronutrient is attracted to high cholesterol and fat,\u201d Traber said. \u201cSo vitamin E can stay at higher levels in the circulatory system and give the illusion of adequate levels, even as tissues are deficient.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis basically means that conventional vitamin E blood tests as they are now being done are useless,\u201d said Traber.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The findings support the conclusion that people with metabolic syndrome have higher levels of oxidative and inflammatory stress, scientists said in their conclusion, and require more antioxidants such as vitamins E as a result.<\/p>\n

Additional Information:<\/span><\/p>\n

Study in PubMed:\u00a0Metabolic syndrome increases dietary \u03b1-tocopherol requirements as assessed using urinary and plasma vitamin E catabolites: a double-blind, crossover clinical trial<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Vitamin E and health: Micronutrient Information Center<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

OSU Press Release<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Research Also Uncovers a New, Better Way to Test for Vitamin E New research from Linus Pauling Institute Principal Investigator and\u00a0Ava Helen Pauling Professor\u00a0Maret Traber, Ph.D., has shown that people with metabolic syndrome need significantly more vitamin E \u2013 which could be a serious public health concern, in light of the millions of people who… Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7496,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[970501,523,582794],"tags":[582748],"class_list":["post-1884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nutrition","category-research","category-vitaminmineral-faqs","tag-vitamin-e"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1186,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/2015\/04\/08\/everyone-needs-vitamin-e\/","url_meta":{"origin":1884,"position":0},"title":"Remember: You Need Vitamin E","author":"Alexander Michels, PhD","date":"April 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Clinical trials involving vitamin E supplementation have been mixed\u00a0\u2013 some showed benefits, while others did not.\u00a0Some trials even\u00a0reported negative\u00a0outcomes associated with taking vitamin E. 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Although it wasn't the first trial to show negative effects of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Feature Stories"","block_context":{"text":"Feature Stories","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/category\/feature-stories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"vitamin E pills","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/files\/2014\/10\/vitamin-E.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":647,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/2014\/01\/14\/keep-taking-your-vitamins\/","url_meta":{"origin":1884,"position":1},"title":"Keep Taking Your Vitamins","author":"freib","date":"January 14, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"An article by Paul Offit titled \u201cThe Vitamin Myth: Why We Think We Need Supplements\u201d\u00a0has been part of the media blitz surrounding so-called negative claims of vitamin and mineral supplements. 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