What Is Vitamin E Good For?

Answer:
Vitamin E has been touted as providing health benefits

for many different conditions. Some of these claims are valid, while others are simply old wives tales. However, with any health condition, Vitamin E should not be your soul treatment. Always work with a health provider to ensure that you are getting the proper treatment for the condition. The Mayo Clinic looked at the health benefits of taking Vitamin E for various conditions, and their results are below.

Vitamin E Deficiency: This is a rare condition that may occur in people with diminished fat absorption, malnutrition, very low fat diets, a genetic condition, low birth weight, or infants taking unfortified formulas. Vitamin E supplements work well for this condition.

Allergic Rhinitis: Some claim that Vitamin E can reduce the nasal symptoms of allergies, but current evidence is limited as best, and more study is needed.

Altitude Sickness: There may be some benefit with taking Vitamin E for people exposed to high altitudes because it may improve ventilation, although it may not reduce inflammation after exercising at high altitudes. More research is needed.

Anemia: Studies of using Vitamin E for anemia have produced mixed results at best. More research is needed.

Angina: Although is has been suggested to use Vitamin E for patients suffering from angina, the benefits to this are unclear. Further research is needed.

Antioxidant: Vitamin E does have antioxidant properties, but there has not been clear evidence that a supplement will provide this. Doctors recommend that your Vitamin E intake be from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains until further studies are done.

Atherosclerosis: This remains controversial. There has been some evidence that high intakes of Vitamin E can be associated with lower rates of heart disease, but the more recent Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) study did not support this hypothesis.

Bladder Cancer: There is some evidence that Vitamin E supplements can reduce mortality can reduce mortality in bladder cancer patients, but more study needs to be done before this can be confirmed.

Breast Cancer: Some have suggested that Vitamin E is helpful in the treatment and prevention of breast cancer, but the evidence is inconclusive at this time.

Breast Cancer Hot Flashes: Some studies showed a reduction of hot flashes, although the reduction was the same as with a placebo.

Cancer Treatment: There is no scientific evidence that Vitamin E is helpful in cancer patients, and it may actually be harmful. There is evidence that it can actually reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Cardiovascular Disease in Dialysis Patients: There is some evidence that the use of high-dose Vitamin E in dialysis patients can help prevent heart disease, although recent evidence has shown that this may lead to a slightly higher risk of death. Further research is needed.

Cataract Prevention: Some studies show benefits after using it for ten years, but other studies show no benefit.

Chemotherapy Nerve Damage: See the response under Cancer.

Colon Cancer Prevention: There is not enough evidence to confirm that Vitamin E will prevent colon cancer, although in patients with previous colon cancer, a combination of Vitamins A, C, and E has proven to reduce the risk of new colon cancer.

Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease: The evidence is inconclusive as the whether or not Vitamin E can slow or prevent dementia in older patients.

Diabetes Mellitus: Although some claim that Vitamin E can prevent both Type I and Type II diabetes, there is no clear proof of this, and further studies need to be done.

Dysmenorrhea: There is some evidence of the benefits of Vitamin E reducing chronic menstrual pain, but firm evidence has not been determined.

G6PD Deficiency: This has not been proven yet. Further studies need to be completed.

Glomerulosclerosis (kidney disease): A clear conclusion cannot be drawn, and further evidence is needed.

Healing After Photorefractive Keratectomy: Some research has shown that Vitamin E may improve eye function and healing after eye surgery.

Hepatitis C: Some claim that Vitamin E will reduce inflammation, but further studies are needed.

High Cholesterol: Claims that Vitamin E will lower cholesterol are mixed. No fiirm conclusion can be reached.

Immune System Function: Studies regarding this have resulted in mixed results. Further studies are needed.

Intermittent Claudication: Some studies have shown promising results, but those study groups were small and should not be relied upon. Better testing is needed.

There are many other claims of benefits to Vitamin E, but studies have shown no evidence to support their validity.