fjrigjwwe9r0Board:Content
Continuing Scientific Support for Antioxidants
Researcher reports link between plasma vitamin E concentration and carotid atherosclerosis
A study published in the September 2002 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the link between carotid artery plaques and the intake and plasma concentrations of vitamin E in 310 women from Italy. Interestingly, the occurrence of carotid plaque as measured by ultrasound was inversely correlated with increasing intake of vitamin E. Even after vitamin E levels were adjusted for plasma cholesterol, a significant inverse association was found between higher intake of vitamin E from the diet and the percent of individuals with carotid plaque. The risk for carotid plaques in those with a diet low in vitamin E was particularly strong in postmenopausal women. This study is significant as it is the first study to measure both dietary intake of vitamin E as well as plasma levels and correlate those values with carotid plaques. We should remember that dietary vitamin E does not consist only of alpha-tocopherol, but also contains the other tocopherols including beta, delta, and gamma. |