How Vitamin E Fights Cancer & Halts Alzheimer’s
Vitamin E’s Incredible Role in Killing Cancer Cells & Slowing Alzheimer’s
Search Google News for stories about vitamin E, and your browser will likely be besieged by reports of vitamin E’s negative effects on human health. But are the claims credible?
Vitamin E is often unfairly portrayed in our modern media, where controversy, instead of comprehensive research, commands clicks. Reliable nutritional science information is often drowned out by less dependable, more provocative content. If the mainstream media is going to be quiet about vitamin E’s bold benefits, we’ll just have to be a bit louder.
Vitamin E Needs to Be Natural
One such shady report (published January 2014) suggested that vitamin E actually accelerates lung cancer growth in mice. TheOrthomolecular News Service found these results a bit fishy, so they closely examined the paper to discover that the study didn’t even use natural vitamin E! The words “d-alpha tocopherol” or “mixed natural tocopherols,” which signify natural vitamin E, did not appear anywhere in the study.
Instead, the study used a synthetic form of vitamin E, Dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, which does not contain the eight forms of the vitamin present in its natural state. Essentially, the study ignores the well-known facts that synthetic vitamin E is an inferior form, and the body excretes it three times faster than natural vitamin E.
Meanwhile, researchers who likewise tested the effect of vitamin E on lung cancer, but used natural vitamin E, found that 300 IU of vitamin E each day reduced lung cancer by 61 percent. Quite a radical difference from the synthetic study, eh?
Fast Facts: Mixed natural tocopherols, fat-soluble chemicals found in leafy green vegetables, fruits, grains, meat, eggs and dairy products, are sometimes added to vitamin E supplements to enhance their antioxidant power. Tocopherols are thought to promote eye health and protect against vision damage.
Killing Cancer Cells with Vitamin E
Additionally, critics of the synthetic study note that a cofactor found in natural vitamin E, gamma tocotrienol, widely known to destroy cancer stem cells, is not mentioned anywhere in the research text. Studies in mice have demonstrated a remarkable 75% decrease in cancerous tumor formation after natural vitamin E supplementation. Cancer cells that often rapidly become resistant to chemotherapy drugs may be destroyed completely by the modest vitamin E (but the pharmaceutical companies don’t want you to know that). By protecting cells against damaging free radicals and enhancing immune function, vitamin E presents promising benefits completely ignored by the synthetic study.
Fast Facts: It seems like we’re always talking up nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, and green leafy vegetables, but we can’t help that they’re packed with beneficial vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants! It’s because these healthy foods are rich in cancer-fighting compounds, including vitamin E.
Vitamin E May Slow Alzheimer’s Progression
An astonishing 90% of Americans are deficient in vitamin E. Meanwhile, 5.2 million Americans are suffering from Alzheimer’s and every 68 seconds, a new person falls victim to the disease. Thankfully, researchers have uncovered promising support for Alzheimer’s patients in the form of high-dose vitamin E supplementation. According to findings from the Minneapolis Veteran’s Administration, 2,000 IU of natural vitamin E per day reduced cognitive decline by 19 percent over a one-year period, compared to no observed reduction in the placebo group.
Fast Facts: In 2012, 15.4 million unpaid caregivers, including friends and family members, offered 17.5 billion hours of their time to care for Alzheimer’s patients. Over 60 percent of these caregivers say their stress levels are high due to mental, financial, and emotional burdens that stem from caregiving commitments. Click here to find out how volunteering your time can actually improve your health, or click here for stress-relieving techniques specifically for caregivers!
No Risk From Excess Vitamin E, Say Experts
Vitamin E has also faced the accusation that intakes of 400 IU or more of the vitamin per day may lead to severe health risks. A new study published in the Journal of Lipid Research disagrees, citing that biological mechanisms in the liver exist to regularly eliminate excess vitamin E. As a result, say researchers, it is almost impossible to consume too much vitamin E. According to nutrition experts, the real problem lies in the shocking worldwide deficiency in vitamin E.