Positive Health Online

Abstract

DE WAART and colleagues, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands dewaart@medew.hegl.wau.nl write that antioxidant vitamin E may counteract the oxidation of LDL-linoleic acid (LDL-LA), a major target for lipid peroxidation. @m:METHODS: The authors conducted a 3-month randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial to study the protective effect of vitamin E upon rate of oxidation of LDL-linoleic acid (LDL-LA). 83 apparently healthy Dutch elderly people aged 67-85 years took 100 IU vitamin E per day for 3 months. @r:RESULTS: Compared to the control group, oxidised LDL was significantly decreased in the vitamin E group. In fact, within the vitamin E group, the decrease was more pronounced over tertiles of vitamin E to LDL-LA ratio There was a significant difference in decrease from the lowest compared to the highest tertile of 18.5% and 2.0% respectively. @c:CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin E supplementation of 100 IU in elderly people lowered the rate of oxidation of LDL-LA. This protective effect of vitamin E is best monitored by using the ratio of alpha-tocopherol to LDL-LA as this reflects the degree of vitamin E available to protect LDL-LA.

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References

de Waart FG et al. Vitamin E supplementation in elderly lowers the oxidation rate of linoleic acid in LDL. Atherosclerosis. 133(2): 255-63. Sep 1997.