Can Vitamin E Cause Harm?

by Dr. Greg Fors, DC

Vitamin E to most people is one molecule: alpha-tocopherol. However, vitamin E. is an eight-member family complex, much like the B-complex. The E complex is eight closely related vitamers: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Each E vitamer has its own unique properties not shared with the other E vitamers. Supplemental vitamin E alpha tocopherol with “mixed tocopherols” generally contains only alpha-tocopherol with a token quantity of the other vitamin E molecules. Recent studies now show that unbalanced alpha-tocopherol supplementation is actually harmful and may raise mortality rates .

Unbalanced alpha-tocopherol supplementation actually depletes the body and brain of the other members of the vitamin E family negating many of their benefits. For example, after just one month of supplementing with 400 IU of alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol levels in individuals were reduced by a whopping two-thirds. Furthermore, once unbalanced alpha-tocopherol supplementation is stopped it can take as much as two years for the ratio of alpha- and gamma-tocopherol to return to normal!  By contrast, gamma-tocopherol supplementation can actually raise alpha-tocopherol levels.

Free Radicals, Inflammation, Chronic Disease and Vitamin E Vitamers
Why is this so important for doctors to understand when prescribing antioxidant therapy? Alpha-tocopherol has been shown to act as a good antioxidant against some varieties of free radicals. But it is gamma-tocopherol that is the most effective in detoxifying the extremely damaging “reactive nitrogen species.” In fact, alpha-tocopherol alone is ineffective at removing the key reactive nitrogen species called peroxynitrite. Alpha-tocopherol with “mixed tocopherols” supplementation can actually result in an increase in oxidative stress that promotes a functional decrease in antioxidant capacity leading to a functional increase in inflammation, hence the possible increase in mortality rates.   

Gamma-tocopherol is a more potent anti-inflammatory agent than alpha-tocopherol. In the inflammatory process COX-2 is a key enzyme which are targeted by “COX-2 inhibitor” drugs such as Celebrex® and Vioxx®. Gamma-tocopherol has been shown to be much more effective in reducing COX-2 synthesis of PGE2 and significantly inhibit lipoxygenase formation of LTB4, in contrast to alpha-tocopherol, which has no effect.  Supplementation with gamma-tocopherol, but not alpha-tocopherol, significantly lowers C-reactive protein concentrations and can triple PPARγ mRNA levels, which act as anti-inflammatory mediators.  Gamma-tocopherol is not only more effective in inhibiting inflammation-associated disease; supplementation with alpha-tocopherol alone significantly decreases gamma-tocopherol cellular levels and potentially increasing inflammation.

The E. for Heart Health
The HOPE, GISSI, CHAOS, Primary Prevention Project (PPP) studies have found that alpha-tocopherol does not give any protection against death from a heart attack or heart disease. The problem with these studies is that they may have been focused on the wrong vitamin E-alpha tocopherol. Several studies have found that low plasma levels of gamma-tocopherol – but not alpha tocopherol – are found in patients with atherosclerosis. Three such studies have specifically found an unbalanced ratio of alpha- to gamma-tocopherol in such patients, possibly from supplementation with regular vitamin E supplements!

Two large epidemiological studies have found that vitamin E from food, but not from supplements, was protective against death from heart disease. The reason for this is simple the vitamin E in the food we eat is primarily gamma-tocopherol, while “vitamin E” supplements doctors prescribed are overbalanced with alpha-tocopherol

In the regulation of blood pressure extracellular fluid pressure plays a key role. Hypertension with its high extracellular fluid pressure puts individuals at risk of congestive heart failure, cardiac fibrosis, and liver cirrhosis. Gamma tocopherol may play a role in reducing the incidence of hypertension because gamma-tocopherol and gamma-tocotrienols, but not alpha-tocopherol, help control extracellular fluid pressure through a key metabolite.
Alzheimer’s disease and the E Family

Recent research is now providing good evidence that it is the nitrogen-based free radicals, especially peroxynitrite, that is primarily behind the degenerative process in Alzheimer’s disease. As previously indicated it is gamma-, not alpha-tocopherol that can detoxify nitrogen-based free radicals and specifically peroxynitrite. When researchers examine the levels of gamma- and alpha-tocopherol in the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s patients they find a specific depletion of gamma-tocopherol in areas of the brain affected by the disease when compared to controls. Alpha-tocopherol levels were the same in both brains, but gamma-tocopherol levels were found to be much lower throughout the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease compared to the brains of those without.

Prostate Cancer and the E Family
The ATBC trial found that low-dose alpha-tocopherol reduced the risk of prostate cancer; two studies suggest that high-dose alpha-tocopherol may actually increase prostate cancer risk. Another recent study found that males with the most gamma-tocopherol in their blood were five times less likely to develop prostate cancer than men with low blood gamma-tocopherol levels. This same study found that alpha-tocopherol and selenium levels were only found to be protective in males whose gamma-tocopherol levels were also high.

With this understanding what should you do, make sure you are taking a proper balance of the vitamin E. family. This is why you will now see is that BIOSPEC's all-important formula Mito-Detox contains 200 mg of gamma tocopherol with only 70 I.U. of alpha-

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