The human body requires non-energy yielding vitamins and minerals in varying amounts to facilitate normal homeostasis. Much research has been conducted looking at the effects different nutrients have in the body, with a special emphasis recently placed on the fat-soluble, antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. For a time, vitamin E, in particular, was believed to be instrumental in reducing the risk of cardiovascular incidents; an observational study from 1997 reported the findings of three large investigations found that vitamin E users had 40% less incidence of cardiovascular disease. Subsequent trials in the years that followed, suggest different very different findings. These findings suggest that not only are vitamin E supplements not necessarily helpful, but may even present physiological harm.

A recent study, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, found that not only did antioxidant supplements have no effect on decreasing mortality rates but they may in fact raise the risk of early death. Over 60 randomized trials were reviewed; some of which involved healthy populations, whereas other studies looked at populations suffering from a variety of illnesses. The researchers assessed the risk of the individual antioxidants and found fat soluble vitamins A and E appeared to pose the most risk.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published at least two studies in 2005 that showed antioxidants, specifically vitamin E, appeared to have no effect on preventing cardiovascular events or oxidation. The HOPE (Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation) and HOPE-TOO trials were conducted between 1993 and 2003. Study participants were diagnosed with vascular disease or diabetes; just over one thousand patients participated in the final review. Approximately half were given a daily dose of 400 IU of vitamin E; the other half received a placebo. Overall, the researchers found no differences in the incidences of cancer or major cardiovascular events. In fact, the patients given vitamin E were more likely to suffer from, or be hospitalized for heart failure.

The HOPE and HOPE-TOO trials studied both men and women; a similar study in JAMA focused solely on almost 40,000 healthy women who participated in the Women’s Health Study. Subjects received either a placebo or 600 IU of vitamin E on alternating days. The women were followed for over ten years, and in that time the researchers found no significant improvements in the development of cardiovascular incidents or various cancers, nor a decrease in mortality risk in the vitamin E group.

Dieticians and nutritionists generally recommend most people take a multi-vitamin to cover any deficiencies in their diets. However, most would agree that multi-vitamins are meant to be a supplement rather than the remedy for a poor diet. One of the concerns of researchers in both JAMA studies was the possibility that the form of vitamin E provided, despite being “natural,” could have adversely affected the study. Also, the amount in the two studies -- 400 and 600 IUs -- was called into question; whether too much or too little to serve a purpose is unknown. A 2007 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition looked at both multi-vitamin compounds containing 9 mg of vitamin E as well as single capsules containing 100 mg and found no association between the intake of either type of supplement and the reduction of cardiovascular disease or all-cause mortality. Interestingly, they did report that current smokers taking dietary supplements were actually more likely to die of cancer; the only group to experience any benefit from the intake of supplements were those individuals who reported inadequate intakes. It seems fairly clear that further research on the efficacy of Vitamin E supplementation is necessary before any direct link can be made between disease prevention and supplementation.