At the recent American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2004, investigators report that taking vitamin E supplementation can be dangerous.
Researchers compiled data from 14 clinical studies that compared the usage of vitamin E to placebo. In these studies, the average daily dose of vitamin E was 400 IU. They found that higher doses of vitamin E was associated with an increased risk of death. With doses of 200 IU and lower, there was no evidence of an increase in mortality. At doses greater than 400 IU per day, there was a significant increase in mortality, amounting to a 10% increased risk of death.
This is not the first report suggesting that high doses of vitamin E might not be a good idea. Previous studies have suggested that Vitamin E and other antioxidants might harm the heart. ( Read about these previous reports here.)
People get about 10 IU per day of vitamin E in a typical diet, mostly from vegetable oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables. Current U.S. dietary guidelines, while not recommending vitamin E supplements, suggest that doses up to 1000 IU per day are OK. These guidelines will probably be revisited in light of this new evidence.
