Long-term, regular use of vitamin E in women 45 years of age
and older may help decrease the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) by about 10 per cent in both smokers and non-smokers,
according to a US study.
The researchers, based at Cornell University and Brigham and
Women’s Hospital, presented their findings at the American Thoracic
Society International Conference in New Orleans this week and they say
their results show that vitamin E could be used as part of a new preventive strategy for COPD in women.
The oxidant/antioxidant balance in lung tissue is hypothesized to contribute to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) risk, said the researchers, and they noted that observational
studies consistently report high antioxidant status associated with
lower risk of COPD and asthma.
As lung disease develops, damage occurs to sensitive tissues
through several proposed processes, including inflammation and damage
from free radicals.Vitamin E may protect the lung against such damage.
There are eight forms of vitamin E: four tocopherols (alpha, beta,
gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta).
Alpha-tocopherol is the main source found in supplements and in the
European diet, while gamma-tocopherol is the most common form in the
American diet.
Other associated health benefits for the vitamin include improving
the function of the liver thereby strengthening the body’s defence
system, contributing to a healthy circulatory system and aiding in
proper blood clotting and wound healing.
Some studies have shown that vitamin E decreases symptoms of
premenstrual syndrome and certain types of breast disease as well as
helping to protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
“Previous research found that higher intake of vitamin E was
associated with a lower risk of COPD, but the studies were not designed
to answer the question of whether increasing vitamin E intake would
prevent COPD.
Using a large, randomized controlled trial to answer this question
provided stronger evidence than previous studies,” said the
researchers.
They said they reviewed data compiled by the Women’s Health Study,
a multiyear research initiative that ended in 2004 and focused on the
effects of aspirin (100mg every other day) and vitamin E (600 IU every
other day) in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer in
nearly 40,000 women aged 45 years and older for ten years.
“Among 38,270 women without self reported history of CLD at
randomization, there were 760 new reports of CLD diagnosis in the
Vitamin E group and 846 in the placebo group during 373,710
person-years,” found the researchers.
An important finding was that the decreased risk of COPD in women
who were given vitamin E was the same for smokers as for non-smokers.
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Source: Nutraingredients