May 30, 2006 -- Latest Update on Vitamin E -- Vitamin E is Not Dangerous at 400 IU!

By Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA. The following article is Neil’s May 16, 2006 response to Parade magazine’s Vitamin E warning posted on their web site.

The warning about taking 400+ IU of Vitamin E is based on bad science from a flawed, heavily criticized meta-analysis. A major review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the same data more carefully, reporting 1,600 IU as safe. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine sets the upper tolerable intake at 1,500 IU. Other studies supporting the safety of Vitamin E include the US Nurses' Health Study, US Health Professionals' follow-up study, and the Iowa Women's Health Study.

In the GISSI Prevention Trial of 11,000 heart attack survivors, Vitamin E reduced the number of sudden deaths and cardiovascular disease deaths. The 10-year SENECA study reported blood levels of Vitamin E were not associated with all-cause or cause-specific mortality.

Reports of increased death rates occurred in flawed meta-analyses combining studies due to faulty statistical models and/or added variables outside of the study.

Vitamin E is safe and life-saving.