Overview

Why take a mixed tocopherol vitamin E?

The best benefits:
Current research shows that the antioxidant activity is greatest from a blend of all the tocopherol forms of vitamin E: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta.†

Why take Vitamin E 400 IU?

You get the most complete vitamin E:
The vitamin E family is made up of different compounds called tocopherols, including alpha, gamma, beta and delta. Our Vitamin E 400 IU formula was developed to give you the full range of  tocopherols necessary to support cardiovascular health.†

Directions

One softgel daily.

Pill Size

Interactions and Depletions

Technical Data

Description

Enzymatic Therapy's Vitamin E 400 IU is a natural vitamin E supplement, containing d-alpha tocopherol and mixed tocopherols (alpha, gamma, beta, and delta tocopherol). While intake of d-alpha-tocopherol has been the subject of many studies that have shown support for cardiovascular health, new research has indicated that significant benefit is also associated with the activity of other forms of vitamin E: beta, gamma, and delta tocopherol.† The blend of tocopherols in Vitamin E 400 IU provides the full range necessary to support cardiovascular health.†

How Does It Work?

Vitamin E is a fat soluble nutrient. It functions in the body in the protection of red blood cell membranes, assists in iron metabolism in the cell, and aids the absorption of vitamin A.†¹ However, vitamin E is primarily recognized for its antioxidant activity.† It is thought to act as a chain breaking antioxidant, which prevents the propagation of lipid peroxidation.†²

Observational studies have concluded that intake of vitamin E is associated with support for cardiovascular health.† ^3,4 While the mechanism of action is not completely understood, both human and animal studies have found that vitamin E can delay or prevent low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation.†⁵ Cholesterol molecules are formed from a double bond, making them more susceptible to oxidation and free radical formation.†⁶ On average, 5-9 molecules of vitamin E are carried by each LDL particle to protect against oxidation.†⁷ It is theorized that free radicals generated by inflammation of the endothelial cells of the arterial wall, and activated macrophages, oxidize LDL particles.⁸ The oxidized particles are taken up by macrophage scavenger receptors, and form lipid-laden foam cells known as fatty streaks in the arterial walls. These fatty streaks are not supportive of optimal cardiac health. Supplemental vitamin E intake has been shown to both boost the antioxidant capacity of LDL particles and support their resistance to oxidation.†⁹

Vitamin E naturally occurs in structurally different isoforms.¹⁰ Vitamin E 400 IU contains a blend of four isomers: alpha, beta, delta, and gamma tocopherol. All are potent antioxidants.†^11,12 However, each form has unique properties and functions in the body. For example, gamma tocopherol differs from alpha in its ability to detoxify nitrogen dioxide, support healthy cell growth, and inhibit cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity in macrophages and epithelial cells.†¹¹

Summary of Research
Epidemiological studies of dietary vitamin E intake have shown significant support for cardiovascular health.† In a four year study of approximately 40,000 men, researchers found that participants who consumed at least 60 IU of dietary vitamin E per day experienced significantly better cardiovascular support than men who consumed less.†¹³ A similar study followed over 34,000 postmenopausal women for 7 years, recording their intake of dietary vitamin E. The women with the highest intakes of dietary vitamin E also reported better cardiovascular health support than women consuming less vitamin E.†¹⁴

However, clinical trials of supplemental vitamin E have had mixed results. Of note, the clinical trials to date have used only alpha tocopherol, and excluded all other forms of vitamin E. This exclusion is believed by many experts to explain the conflicting results in the research on supplemental vitamin E. In support of this theory, a recent study compared the effects of alpha tocopherol alone, and mixed tocopherols in healthy platelet activity in humans. After eight weeks of supplementation, the group receiving mixed tocopherols showed significant support for healthy platelet aggregation, while no similar results were noted in the alpha tocopherol only group.†¹⁵ Additionally, research that has examined the antioxidant activity of vitamin E has shown that mixed tocopherols have more potent antioxidant effects than alpha tocopherol alone.†¹⁶

Conclusion
As a potent antioxidant, vitamin E protects cell membranes and fat-soluble areas of the body (such as LDL cholesterol) from free radical damage.† New research has documented that the antioxidant activity is greatest from a blend of all the tocopherol forms of vitamin E: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta.† Vitamin E 400 IU provides a blend of natural vitamin E tocopherols for maximum antioxidant activity and free radical detoxification.†

Recommendations

One softgel daily.

Precautions

No label precautions listed at time of product launch.

How Is It Supplied?

• 06751;100 Softgels

Storage Recommendations

Store at controlled room temperature, 59° to 86°F (15°-30°C).

References

1. Wardlaw GM, Insel PM. Vitamins in general and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. In: Perspectives in Nutrition. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby, 1993:367.
2. Vitamin E. In: Dietary reference intakes for vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and carotenoids: a report of the Panel on Dietary Antioxidants and Related Compounds, Subcommittees on Upper Reference Levels of Nutrients and of Interpretation and Use of Dietary Reference Intakes, and the Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2000:186.
3. Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Ascherio A, Biovannucci E, Colditz GA, Willett WC. Vitamin E consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease in men. N Engl J Med. 1993;328:1450-6.
4. Kushi LH, Folsom AR, Prineas RJ, Mink PJ, Wu Y, Bostick RM. Dietary antioxidant vitamins and death from coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women. N Engl J Med. 1996;334:1156-62.
5. Brockes C, Buchli C, Locher R, Koch J, Vetter W. Vitamin E prevents extensive lipid peroxidation in patients with hypertension. Br J Biomed Sci. 2003;60:5-8.
6. Valenzuela A, Sanhueza J, Nieto S. Cholesterol oxidation: health hazard and the role of antioxidants in prevention. Biol Res. 2003;36:291-302.
7. Meydani M. Vitamin E and Atherosclerosis: Beyond Prevention of LDL Oxidation. J Nutr. 2001;131:366S-368S. Available at: http://www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/131/2/366S. Accessed on December 3, 2003.
8. Carr AC, McCall MR, Frei B. Oxidation of LDL by myeloperoxidase and reactive nitrogen species: reaction pathways and antioxidant protection. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2000;20:1716-23
9. Upritchard JE, Schuurman CR, Wiersma A, et al. Spread supplemented with moderate doses of vitamin E and carotenoids reduces lipid peroxidation in healthy, nonsmoking adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;78:985-92.
10. Campbell SE, Stone WL, Whaley SG, Qui M, Krishnan K. Gamma (gamma) tocopherol upregulates peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) gamma (gamma) expression in SW 480 human colon cancer cell lines. BMC Cancer. 2003;3:25.
11. Uemura M, Manabe H, Yoshida N, et al. Alpha-tocopherol prevents apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells via a mechanism exceeding that of mere antioxidation. Eur J Pharmacol. 2002;456:29-37
12. Yoshida Y, Niki E, Noguchi N. Comparative study on the action of tocopherols and tocotrienols as antioxidant: chemical and physical effects. Chem Phys Lipids. 2003;123:63-75.
13. Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Ascherio A, Giovannucci E, Colditz GA, Willett WC. Vitamin E consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease in men. N Engl J Med. 1993;20;328:1450-6.
14. Kushi LH, Folson AR, Prineas RJ, Mink PJ, Wu Y, Bostick RM. Dietary antioxidant vitamins and death from coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women. N Engl J Med. 1996;334:1156-62
15. Liu M, Wallmon A, Olsson-Mortlock C, Wallin R, Saldeen T. Mixed tocopherols inhibit platelet aggregation in humans: potential mechanisms. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;77:700-6
16. Naguib Y, Hari SP, Passwater R Jr, Huang D. Antioxidant activities of natural vitamin E formulations. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2003;49:217-20.

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