Vitamin E: It's the mix that counts

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MunichVitamin E protects the memory. Nevertheless, corresponding dietary supplements fail in many studies. The reason: There are eight different forms of vitamin E in nature. The right combination is crucial for memory.

According to a Swedish study, older people with a high serum concentration of vitamin E develop mild memory problems but also Alzheimer's disease less than their peers with lower levels. According to the researchers, different variants of vitamin E play an important role in the memory process.

Protective vitamin E variants

For the study, Francesca Mangialasche's team from the Swedish Karolinska Institute recruited 140 Finns who were 65 years of age or older and who had no memory problems at the start of the study. During the eight-year observation period, the researchers found that participants with higher vitamin E levels were better protected from mild memory disorders, Alzheimer's disease, and other forms of dementia. In particular, the vitamin E variants beta-tocotrienol and gamma-tocopherol seem to be important for maintaining memory functions.

In previous studies, however, the effects of another variant of vitamin E had usually been examined, alpha-tocopherol, which is found in most vitamin E pills. "Possibly different forms of vitamin E play a role in impaired memory," the researchers write.

Controversial benefits of vitamin supplements

Vitamin supplements are bestsellers - but their benefits are controversial. A 2004 study caused a sensation, suggesting that high doses of vitamin E can actually increase the risk of premature death from heart attacks and strokes.

Critics of the preparations also complain that food supplements always lack other active ingredients that are contained in the corresponding food and could also be involved in the health-protective effect.

If you want to be on the safe side, you cannot avoid getting the vitamins you need through a healthy diet. Vitamin E, for example, is found in large quantities in nuts, sunflower oil, but also black currants and sweet potatoes. Cf)

Sources:

Francesca Mangialasche: Serum levels of vitamin E forms and risk of cognitive impairment in a Finnish cohort of older adults, Experimental Gerontology, Volume 48, Issue 12, December 2013, Pages 1428–1435

Edgar R. Miller: Meta-Analysis: High-Dosage Vitamin E Supplementation May Increase All-Cause Mortality, Ann Intern Med. 2005; 142: 37-46. doi: 10.7326 / 0003-4819-142-1-200501040-00110

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