Author: Admin

Vitamin E – the good and the bad

Admin

December 10. 2024

Vitamin E is a large family of active substances, with alpha-tocopherol being the most well-known and used, but it has good and bad relatives.

Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease are some of the most common causes of death worldwide, and also reduce the quality of life for millions of people. The authors of a new article have reviewed the recent scientific evidence on the effects of increased intake of the two main forms of vitamin E, tocotrienols and tocopherols, on patients with atherosclerosis and the cardiovascular diseases that accompany atherosclerosis (Rafique et al., 2024).

The article has focused on the fact that vitamin E is much more than the commonly known alpha-tocopherol, and that some of the other forms of vitamin E in the diet may contribute to better protection of the body’s cardiovascular system.

An attempt to illustrate the structure of vitamin E can be seen below, where the four tocotrienols are on the left with three double bonds in the long carbon chain, and the four tocopherols are on the right.

Tocotrienols                                                                  Tocopherols

Figure 1: The eight substances that naturally belong to the vitamin E group in plants. The tocotrienols are on the left, and the tocopherols on the right. Alpha-tocopherol is shown in red. The arrows in the figure show how trienols can be converted to alpha-tocopherol in our body. (Figure modified from Querchi et al. (2015)).

The new article is based on a review of 5 studies published in the 8 years from 2015-2022, which examined the effect of tocotrienol or tocopherol supplementation on the development of atherosclerosis or patients with already existing atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.

A study highlighted in the recently published article showed that tocotrienol at a dose of 250 mg per day for 16 weeks had a clear positive effect on reducing cholesterol and reducing important biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in the body (Querishi et al 2015):

  • C-reactive protein (CRP): a 40% decrease

CRP is produced in the liver and is a frequently used marker for inflammation in the body in general and also for atherosclerosis, where a lower level gives patients a lower risk of having a blood clot.

  • Malondialdehyde (MDA): a decrease of 34%

Malondialdehyde is produced in the body’s tissues and high levels are a sign of oxidative stress and low antioxidant levels.

  • Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT): a decrease of 22%

High GGT levels in the blood are a sign of strain on the liver-biliary system and pancreas.

Along with the above positive changes, the total antioxidant status in the blood was increased by 22%, and cytokines that promote inflammation, such as interleukins (IL-1, IL-12), were reduced by 15-17%. Tocotrienol also had a positive effect on several types of micro-RNA, which are important in the regulation of inflammation and fatty acid metabolism.

Overall, the article showed that tocotrienol can help reduce the processes in the body that lead to atherosclerosis – especially in patients with already existing symptoms of cardiovascular problems.

However, the positive studies on tocotrienols mentioned in the new article are all of shorter duration – 3–6 months. In contrast, the studies the article compares with were all conducted with alpha-tocopherol, and of duration as long as 30 years.

These long-term studies of alpha-tocopherol have shown results with considerable variation. A Finnish study (Huang et al 2019), which followed 29,000 male smokers for 30 years, showed that a better diet with an approximately 30% higher content of natural alpha-tocopherol, initially reduced mortality by 22%, including atherosclerosis by 10-21%, heart attack by 2-17% and cerebral hemorrhage by 22-38%. A supplement of 50 mg/day RL alpha-tocopherol for approximately 6 years within the 30-year period, on the other hand, did not affect symptoms or mortality in the short or long term.

Another long-term American study followed 3,780 healthy women for 11 years, measuring the effect of an alpha-tocopherol supplement to double the level of alpha-tocopherol in the blood. The women were aged between 50 and 79 at the start of the study. The study found an 8% reduced incidence of cerebral hemorrhage with higher levels of alpha-tocopherol in the blood, but an increased incidence of other cardiovascular diseases, such that the overall incidence of cardiovascular problems increased by 8%.

Chemically produced “vitamin E”
Since vitamin E is a strong antioxidant that is known to reduce the unwanted oxidation of LDL cholesterol and other fats in the walls of cells, thereby counteracting atherosclerosis, etc. (Belcher et al 1993), it is relevant to ask why large and long-term studies do not unequivocally show that a supplement of vitamin E is super good.

One explanation could be that we somehow need free radicals, and that vitamin E, with its antioxidant effect, therefore removes something “good.” A more credible explanation, in my perspective, is that large-scale experiments have often used a cheap and poor form of chemically produced vitamin E.

When people talk about there being 8 forms of vitamin E, they are often referring to the 8 different molecules shown above (Figure 1). However, alpha-tocopherol is a complex molecule, and in three places in the molecule a carbon atom is linked to four other atoms/molecules. In the figure below, the positions of the three carbon atoms are marked with red stars (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Drawing of the molecular structure of alpha-tocopherol, where the stars mark the three places where a carbon has four different bonds. (Figure modified from Kohlmeier (2015)).

When you look at the drawing, you can easily imagine that the different molecules can rotate freely, but in reality they are very stable. If hydrogen (H) and the methyl molecule (CH3) are in just one of the places opposite to what is shown in the drawing – yes – then biologically you have seen a different molecule.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens when you produce vitamin E the old-fashioned chemical way. That is, atoms and molecules turn randomly, which means that they have two possible positions in three different places.

Therefore, 2 different x 2 different x 2 different = a total of 8 different forms of the molecule are chemically produced – see Figure 3 below. Of these, only one form is the natural form of vitamin E, which is found in plants and therefore in our diet, while the other seven versions of the molecule are unknown to plants and animals.

In particular, the four forms shown on the right in the figure below are broken down relatively quickly in the liver like other foreign substances. However, we know very little about what toxic effects they have before they are broken down, and what long-term toxic effects arise due to the more or less broken down substances.

Figure 3: Graphic illustration of the eight forms of vitamin E that are created when attempting to produce vitamin E using simple chemical methods. The natural alpha-tocopherol is marked in red. (Figure modified from Kohlmeier (2015)).

When you want to produce cheap supplements, such as cheap multivitamin pills, you often use chemically produced vitamin E. In these cheap products, the mixture of the eight forms of vitamin E is called rac alpha-tocopherol or DL ​​alpha-tocopherol. The natural alpha-tocopherol has been given first names such as D alpha-tocopherol or RRR alpha-tocopherol.

To increase the shelf life of various foods, vitamin E is often used as an antioxidant during production. Since the focus is on vitamin E’s antioxidant effect and not its effect as a vitamin, many manufacturers prefer to use the cheapest form of vitamin E, which is the chemically produced form that contains all 8 forms in equal amounts.

Figure 4 below graphically shows how the eight natural forms of vitamin E should be understood, compared to the seven additional forms that arise when alpha-tocopherol is produced chemically.

It can be seen that the variation in natural vitamin E is due to variation in the ring shown on the left, while the variation in chemically produced alpha-tocopherols is due to changes in the long chain extending from the rings.

Figure 4: At the top, the eight forms of vitamin E found in plants, and therefore naturally present in our diet, and then the eight forms of alpha-tocopherol – one natural and the other seven forms resulting from the chemical production of alpha-tocopherol, which are therefore also present in our diet when “vitamin E” is used as an antioxidant and in cheap dietary supplements. (The figure is modified from Kohlmeier (2015) and Querchi et al. (2015)).

Conclusion
It is now well documented that the different forms of vitamin E, in addition to their common effect as antioxidants, have quite different mechanisms of action in the body. The different natural forms of vitamin E contribute with different mechanisms to protect the body’s cardiovascular system, the central nervous system and also provide some protective effect against certain forms of cancer.

The chemical production of alpha-tocopherol, on the other hand, casts a shadow over the results achieved with long-term supplementation of alpha-tocopherol, so that it is not possible to determine whether a daily supplement of this vitamin E contributes to a healthy and long life or perhaps has negative effects.

Tocotrienols are always extracted from natural sources, and existing studies show that they have a safe effect even at relatively high daily intakes. It is therefore advantageous to choose a vitamin E with a high content of tocotrienols.

Klaus K. Sall
Biologist, Cand. Scient.
Sall&Sall Counseling

Notes

EFSA: The European Food Safety Authority EFSA estimates that a daily adequate intake of vitamin E measured as alpha tocopherol is 13 mg/day for men and 11 mg/day for women (EFSA 2015). In 2024, EFSA estimated that the highest daily intake for adults is 300 mg D alpha-tocopherol (EFSA 2024). In a previous specific case, EFSA estimated that a daily intake of 1000 mg mixed tocotrienols and tocopherols does not pose risks. (EFSA 2008).

Chirality: The eight forms of alpha-tocopherol that are formed during chemical production – are part of a phenomenon called chiral molecules. I have created a website that describes the importance of this phenomenon for all life (text in Danish): www.kiral.dk.

Mix: Studies have shown that alpha-tocopherol suppresses the body’s use of tocotrienols. Therefore, in supplements containing both alpha-tocopherol and tocotrienols, the tocopherols will be primarily utilized (Querishi et al 2015).

12: A total of 12 natural molecules have been found that have vitamin E effects. Four of them rarely occur in human food and are not known in dietary supplements.

Organic farming: In organic foods, it is not permitted to use the unnatural forms of alpha-tocopherol.

References and further reading

Belcher, J.D. et al. (1993) ‘Vitamin E, LDL, and endothelium. Brief oral vitamin supplementation prevents oxidized LDL-mediated vascular injury in vitro.’, Arteriosclerosis and Thrombosis: A Journal of Vascular Biology, 13(12), pp. 1779–1789. Available at: LINK.

EFSA (2008) ‘Opinion on mixed tocopherols, tocotrienol tocopherol and tocotrienols as sources for vitamin E added as a nutritional substance in food supplements, EFSA Journal, 6(3), p. 640. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2008.640.

EFSA (2015) ‘Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for vitamin E as α-tocopherol’, EFSA Journal, 13(7), p. 4149. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4149.

EFSA (2024) ‘Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for vitamin E’, EFSA Journal, 22(8), p. e8953. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8953.

Huang, J. et al. (2019) ‘Relationship Between Serum Alpha-Tocopherol and Overall and Cause-Specific Mortality’, Circulation Research, 125(1), pp. 29–40. Available at: LINK.

Kohlmeier, M. (2015) Fat-Soluble Vitamins and Nonnutrients: Vitamin E, in: Nutrient Metabolism: Structures, Functions, and Genes, pp. 514–525. Elsevier. Available at: LINK.

Qureshi et al. (2015) ‘Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability of Annatto δ-tocotrienol in Healthy Fed Subjects’, Journal of Clinical & Experimental Cardiology, 6(11). Available at: LINK.

Rafique, S. et al. (2024) ‘Comparative efficacy of tocotrienol and tocopherol (vitamin E) on atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in humans’, Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 74(6), pp. 1124–1129. Available at: https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.9227.

Sen, C. et al. (2000) ‘Molecular basis of Vitamin E action – Tocotrienol potently inhibits glutamate-induced pp60(c-Src) kinase activation and death of HT4 neuronal cells’, The Journal of biological chemistry, 275, pp. 13049–55. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.275.17.13049.

Sen, C.K. et al. (2007) ‘Tocotrienols: The Emerging Face of Natural Vitamin E’, Vitamins and hormones, 76, p. 203. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0083-6729(07)76008-9.

Vegetables And Dietary Supplementation Protect Against Alzheimer’s

Admin

August 30, 2005

Elderly persons who get adequate amounts of folic acid have a 55% reduced risk of getting dementia induced by Alzheimer’s disease, says an American study.

Lack of the B vitamin folic acid is probably the most common deficiency in Denmark. Too few people manage to chew the 2-300 grams of green vegetables that are needed every day if they want the recommended 0.3 mg from the diet. In the United States, 0.4 mg is recommended, but here grain products are legally enriched with folic acid.

By: Vitality Council

References:
1. Corrada MM. et al. Alzheimer’s & Dementia. 2005;1:11-18.
2. Fuso A. et al. S-adenosylmethionine/homocysteine cycle alterations modify DNA methylation status with consequent deregulation of PS1 and BACE and beta-amyloid production. Mol Cell Neurosci. 2005 Jan;28(1):195-204.
3. Quadri P. et al. Homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 in mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer disease aqmd vascular dementia. Am J Clin Nutr 2004,80:114-22

www.sciencedirect.com/science
www.ajcn.org
www.iom.dk

Vitamin K against osteoarthritis and atherosclerosis

Admin

August 22, 2005

Researchers recommend Vitamin K supplementation. The need for this vitamin may be even greater than was previously supposed. Vitamin K deficiency leads to weaker bones and calcification of the arteries and vitamin K supplementation will both treat and prevent these problems.

Vitamin K “should be strongly considered as a dietary supplement” for women after menopause and for diabetics, groups which have high risks of developing both osteoarthritis and atherosclerosis. The vitamin is very non toxic and seems to be able to combat these ailments.

This is the very uncompromising conclusion put forth in a new scientific summary of vitamin K which has been published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, which is a serious but lesser known professional journal.

In spite of this journals lack of prominence, it’s very direct message regarding vitamin K will spread throughout the world. It was quickly published in its entirety by www.medscape.com the worlds largest website for doctors. Medscape has millions of readers worldwide.

Vitamin K is found almost exclusively in green vegetables. It is practically nonexistent in other foodstuffs. It was previously believed that the bacteria in our intestines hold us well supplied with the vitamin. This is not the case!

It is officially recommended (in the USA) that one has an intake of no less than 100 micrograms vitamin K daily, corresponding to about 75 grams green salad, spinach, etc. This is supposedly enough for the blood to coagulate properly.

But according to the article ensuring proper coagulation is far from enough. The vitamin is just as important for bones and arteries, and its optimal effect requires much more than officially recommended. In studies with vitamin K1, 10 times the official recommendation (10,000 micrograms) is typically used. This can be done worry free, there are no side effects. No effects have been reported, even when 45,000 micrograms K2 was used per day, 400-500 times recommended, for up to many years.

Vitamin K is responsible for making certain proteins able to bind to calcium. This occurs by the vitamin attaching mild acids (carboxyl groups) to the protein enabling it, like a type of crane, to pick up and move calcium to where it is needed. The protein which has this effect in bones is called osteocalcin and is produced with the aid of vitamin D. With the help of a weak acid osterocalcin can pick up calcium from the blood and place it in the bones. Vitamin K has long been used in Japan to counteract osteoarthritis.

In clogged arteries, for example the coronary arteries, the opposite occurs. It is believed that vitamin K counteracts the depositing of calcium in these vessels by adding a certain protein to the same acids. If the protein is missing or damaged and inaccessible to the acid, the blood vessel clogs quickly. This has been shown in animal studies. Normally the “crane” removes calcium from the arteries so they do not become clogged.

That there is a protein which prevents atherosclerosis and that vitamin K is necessary for its production is a very revolutionary theory. The theory is supported by Dutch research. In a three year long randomised study on older women, half received a daily dose of 1,000 micrograms vitamin K while the rest unknowingly received placebo.

The stiffness of the women’s carotid arteries was measured before and after the three years as a measure for the degree of arthrosclerosis. After the three year period this was unchanged in the women who received the vitamin K whereas nature had marched on in the rest of the women. Their arteries became 8% stiffer.

The strange phenomenon where calcium disappears from the bones and is accumulated in the arteries with age is called the “calcification paradox.” Aging phenomena are without a doubt a part of the explanation, but vitamin K deficiency is probably also contributory. It is without a doubt important to consider this paradox.

Important
If you receive strong blood thinning medicine such as Marevan, you should unfortunately avoid vitamin K supplements. Any such supplement can counteract your treatment and be life threatening.

By: Vitality Council

References:
1. Adams J, Pepping J. Vitamin K in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis and arterial calcification. Am J Health-Syst Pharm 2005;62:1574-81.
2. Braam LA et al. Beneficial effects of vitamin D and K on the elastic properties of the vessel wall in postmenopausal women: A follow up study. J Thromb Haemosta. 2004;91:373-80.

www.ajhp.org
www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp
www.iom.dk

Vitamin E Protects Against Blood Clots And Brain Haemorrhages

Admin

August 9, 2005

Healthy women over 65 can lower their risk of serious consequences of arthrosclerosis by 25 %. This is confirmed by the world’s longest study of vitamin E, so far.

In 1997 44 % of all American cardiologists regularly used antioxidants, especially vitamin E, to prevent coronary thrombosis and strokes. The confidence in vitamin E was so strong that it surpassed the confidence in aspirin, which was only used by 42 %.

The cardiologists relied on the universal theory that arthrosclerosis arises when cholesterol is oxidized and that vitamin E, amongst other things, prevents this oxidization. Unfortunately solid evidence that vitamin E truly protects against arthrosclerosis, and thereby prevents thromboses, has been lacking. Large randomized studies have been disappointing, but also encumbered by obvious faults. Everything is shrouded in doubt. But if the doctors have stopped using vitamin E in disappointment, maybe they will begin using it again now.

The occasion is the largest and longest randomized study up until now with vitamin E. It showed that when healthy women over 65 received vitamin E as a supplement, their risk of suffering a coronary thrombosis or a stroke decreased by 26 %. And not only was the incidence lowered, the diseases also became less dangerous. The total mortality rate was approximately halved (to 51 %).

Other studies of vitamin E have been relatively short, and have had participants who suffered from serious arthrosclerosis. However this study lasted ten years, and the participants were healthy. Exactly because they did not suffer seriously from arthrosclerosis from the beginning, it was hoped that it was not too late to prevent it. A total of 20,000 women received 600 units of natural vitamin E (alpha-tokoferol) every other day for ten years. Just as many other women were given a placebo (fake pills).

The women who were over 65 benefited. However, the large majority was younger than 65. They had no obvious benefits from the treatment. 18,000 women under 65 received vitamin E. 352 of these suffered a coronary thrombosis or a stroke, some with a fatal outcome. That number was eleven higher than amongst the 18,000 who received placebos. A small and random difference. Apparently vitamin E did not benefit the younger women.

For comparison only 2 times 2000 women over 65 participated. In the group receiving vitamin E, there were 130 cases of either cardiac thrombosis or stroke. In the placebo group there were 46 cases more. This difference is relatively large, and statistically quite certain.

But why does vitamin E not benefit the younger? The obvious answer is that maybe it does, but younger women more seldom suffer cardiac thrombosis, and the potential effect is difficult to measure. In the course of the ten years the study ran, less than two percent of those under 65 suffered a cardiac thrombosis or a stroke. Those older, of course had a bigger risk (about eight percent). One can speculate that despite the neutral numbers, the younger group did in fact become less atherosclerotic because of the vitamin E supplement. No one knows, since a direct measurement of the blood vessels was not conducted. The only measurement for the degree of arthrosclerosis was the rough numbers for cardiac thrombosis and stroke.

If seen under the same light, statistically there was only tendency towards benefit from vitamin E. It is a natural consequence of the fact that there were nine times as many young participants, as there were older. The researchers did however choose to conclude on the basis of this result. They believe that the study does not warrant a general recommendation of vitamin E for the prevention of cardio-vascular disease. With regards to those over 65, it is being said that the result deviates from “the total knowledge” and should be investigated further.

This is a somewhat weak comment. A more direct comment came from Maret Taber who is professor at the Linus Pauling Institute in California and one of the World’s leading vitamin E experts:

“Vitamin E has its clear value in the fight against cardiac disease and other degenerative sufferings. It is most important for smokers, persons suffering from hypertension and those who eat an unhealthy diet.”

By: Vitality Council

Reference:
Lee, I-Min. Vitamin E in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease
and cancer. The Womens Health Study: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA
2005;294:56-65.

jama.ama-assn.org
www.iom.dk

Cholesterol reducing pills: Do they have a downside?

Admin

August 3, 2005

Medications taken against cholesterol may prolong life in the event of arteriosclerosis and perhaps even heart failure. However, new figures seem to indicate that many patients get serious side effects from taking such medications, which side effects could have been avoided had they also taken Co-enzyme Q10.

Millions of people worldwide use cholesterol reducing medicine in the form of statins. These people most often have clogged coronary arteries and the statins are used to protect them against further atherosclerosis, blood clots, and strokes. They work, but to a lesser degree than many people think.

If they are given to one hundred 40-80 year old people who are at high risk due to atherosclerosis or diabetes, they prevent about one coronary blood clot or one stroke per year. In the course of five years, about two deaths are avoided.

Many of the treated meanwhile develop heart failure, which is reduced pump function of the heart, because atherosclerosis damages the heart muscle permanently. They begin to complain of tiredness and increasing shortness of breath.

Is it risky to take cholesterol lowering pills in this situation? There can be debated. The debate is due to the way that the medicine works. It blocks the livers production of mevalonic acid, which is necessary for the production of cholesterol, but it also blocks the production of vital Q10! Not only does the blood’s cholesterol level fall, but also the bloods Q10 level.

Because Q10 is necessary for the tissues to create energy it is easy to imagine that a heart muscle which is weakened by heart failure, is further weakened when Q10 is removed.

Apparently statins work anyway. Statins are believed to lengthen life in heart failure. Not because they lower cholesterol, which may actually be damaging when suffering from heart failure, but because statins have other effects than reducing cholesterol. They are antioxidants and counteract inflammation. In addition they promote the creation of new blood vessels in the heart. None of these effects have anything to do with cholesterol.

Maybe the positive effects of statins outweigh the dramatic Q10 loss that they cause. Nonetheless, it is hard to believe that this loss is completely harmless, especially with heart failure.

The American cardiologist P.H. Langsjoen is one of those who warn that we find ourselves in an epidemic of heart failure with unclear reasons and who believe that statins could be one of the reasons.

At a congress in Los Angeles he put forth data which indicates previously unrecognised side effects. Two thirds of 51 newly referred statin treated patients complained of muscle pain, more than 80% were abnormally tired, and almost 60% had shortness of breath. When they stopped using statins and instead received Q10 (240 mg/day), most became symptom free.

At the same congress a randomised trial showed that muscle pain and tiredness was present in one out of every ten on those treated with statins, but disappeared when they took Q10 (100 mg/day). Just as important, more than half experienced an improved quality of life and many showed improved heart function.

Pills against cholesterol lengthen life, but it is necessary to take Q10 if quality of life also increases so that a longer life is a life worth living.

By: Vitality Council

References:
1. Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group. MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study of cholesterol lowering with simvastatin in 20 536 high-risk individuals: A randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2002;360:7-22.
2. Langsjoen PH et al. The clinical use of HMG CoA-reductase inhibitors and the associated depletion of coenzyme Q10. A review of animal and human publications. Biofactors. 2003;18(1-4):101-11.
3. Liao JK. Statin therapy for cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. J Investig Med. 2004 May;52(4):248-53.
4. Bandolier. Statins in heart faikure. http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/cardiac/statHF.html
5. Fourth Conference of the International Coenzyme Q10 Association. Los Angeles April 14-17 2005.

www.thelancet.com
www.iospress.nl/html/09516433.php
journalseek.net/cgi-bin/journalseek/journalsearch.cgi
www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/cardiac/statHF.html
www.coenzymeq10.it/home.html
www.iom.dk

On-time “Delivery” with Vitamin C

Admin

June 28, 2005

Vitamin C is necessary for the creation and maintenance of connective tissue. Therefore, it protects pregnant women against damage to the fetus membrane so that the uterine fluid in which the fetus floats does not leave the uterus prematurely. The typical Danish diet contains much too little Vitamin C for pregnant women.

It is well-known that pregnant women should take folic acid – even before the conception of the fetus – to prevent the birth of children with Spina Bifida. Now it seems that Vitamin C is important for the pregnant in another area: It protects against premature birth.

By: Vitality Council

Reference:
Casanueva E, Ripoll C, Tolentino M, Morales RM, Pfeffer F, Vilchis P, Vadillo-Ortega F Vitamin C supplementation to prevent premature rupture of the chorioamniotic membranes: a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Apr;81(4):859-63.

ECJ Advocate General Says: The Food Supplement Directive Invalid under EU Law

Admin

April 5, 2005

The many millons of European food supplement users have a good reason to be happy today. After the health freedom alliance, The Alliance for Natural Health’s landmark challenge of the very contentious Food Supplement Directive (FSD) by the European Courts of Justice (ECJ), the ECJ Advocate General Geelhoed today has stated that the directive is invalid according to EU law.

This increases the chance for the many supplement users to maintain the possibility of taking supplements to take care of their health..

The resistance against the planned EU-directive has been growing for the last five years and the supplement users now see a possibility to win the case, which can be likened to the fight between David and Goliath.

The Advocate General in a statement released in Luxembourg today at 9:30 Continental time, concluded that:

-The Food Supplements Directive infringes the principle of proportionality – because
– basic principles of Community law, such as the requirements of legal protection, of legal certainty and of sound administration have not properly been taken into account.
– The Directive is therefore invalid under EU law.

The Advocate General’s pronouncement is not a ruling. That will come from the ECJ judges, later – in June. But typically, in the vast majority of cases, the Court Judgment follows the recommendations of the Advocate General with 80%.

If the Advocate General’s recommendations are adopted, in effect, the ban on (ca 270) vitamin and mineral forms not included on the EU’s ‘Positive list,’ due to come into effect on 1 August 2005, will be declared illegal to sell and impossible to buy. The opposition to the positive list concept of allowable nutrient forms finds it too narrow, too restrictive, and based on flawed science.

An example could also be that synthetically produced selenium could be allowed on the positive list, while the natural source found in e.g. Brazil nuts would not; synthetic forms of Vitamin E (often used in ‘adverse’ vitamin studies reported in the media) would be allowed, but the natural, most beneficial food forms would not.

Alternative practitioner Inge Lundberg-Hansen is happily welcoming the Advocate General statement, and says: “There is so much sickness around. We know that food supplements prevent and that they can save us many of the wide spread diseases such as asthma and allergies, and that people by the help of supplements can obtain more energy, a better health and mood, a better relationship to their family, work, and financial situation. We are many, who will be happy, if the ban of the Food Supplement Directive does not come into effect.”

Alternative practitioner and health shop assistant, Agathe Langhof, is of the opinion that the ban of the Food Supplement Directive will make people very angry, so she is also very happy to hear about today’s positive news. She says: “Much more people than the authorities are aware of are depending on their vitamins and minerals. Supplement users are no longer a minority, but rather amount to half of the population. And the Food Supplement Directive case has made the contrast between pharmaceutical medicine and food supplements more distinct, and they want to decide over their own health. But maybe we are not supposed to too healthy and old?”

The M.D. Claus Hancke, who is the chairman of the Vitality Council says: “The Advocate General’s recommendation is the first sign we see of a sound judgement in connection with the EU Supplement Directive and it is my heartfelt hope that the ECJ will follow the Advocate General’s recommendation.”

BY: Vitality Council / SOURCE: ANH PRESS RELEASE / 05-04-05

________________________________

For more information:
Alliance for Natural Health (ANH)

 

Alcohol Causes Cancer, Vitamin B Prevents It

Admin

June 28, 2004

Studies show that the risk of intestinal cancer is increased by 30% in people who have more than 2 drinks a day. However, this risk seems to be completely neutralized by vitamin B9, aka. folic acid.

Cancer of the colon is among the most frequent kind of cancer and furthermore among the deadliest. Several studies have in later years shown that the risk of colon cancer is increased by alcohol intake. This is once again outlined in the partial result of a population study in which five countries participate involving approx. 490,000 men and women.

The recently published results show that the risk of intestinal cancer is increased by approx. 30% in people who have more than two drinks a day; without regard to the drink being wine, beer, or any other kind of alcohol. However, this risk seems to be completely neutralized by the B vitamin folic acid.

A connection between alcohol and breast cancer in women has also been established but also in this case, folic acid seems to have a protective effect.

The same thing applies for ovarian cancer. In March, a Swedish study of this subject was published: Among more than 66,000 women, the incidence of ovarian cancer was reduced by more than 75% in the ones who were given the most folic acid – regardless of them having more than two drinks a day.

Folic acid is a vitamin B which can be found in large amounts in greens and in liver. It is mostly known for its ability to prevent myelomeningocele in newborns – the most common of all serious congenital malformations.

The incidence of myelomeningocele has decreased in the USA after obligatory enrichment of flour with this vitamin was introduced in 1996. Folic acid deficiency is regarded as a very common suffering. A daily supplement of 400 mcg. is considered an appropriate amount for preventive measures.

By: Vitality Council

 

References:
1. Larsson SC, Giovannucci E, Wolk A. Dietary folate intake and incidence of ovarian cancer: The Swedish Mammography Cohort. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004 Mar 3;96(5):396-402.
2. Eunyoung Cho et al. Alcohol Intake and Colorectal Cancer: A Pooled Analysis of 8 Cohort Studies. Annals of Internal Medicine 2004;140:603-613.
3. Giovannucci E et al. Alcohol, low-methionine-low-folate diets, and risk of colon cancer in men. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1995 Feb 15;87(4):265-73.

jncicancerspectrum.oupjournals.org
www.annals.org
www.iom.dk

Feel Safe to Use Ginkgo biloba

Admin

June 24, 2004

A large number of people use this natural remedy on account of its ability to improve memory. This ability has been documented in numerous studies, including British ones. According to the press, the WHO is quoted for having warned against a danger of hemorrhage when Ginkgo biloba is consumed together with anticoagulants.

There are reports of two deaths and a number of non-fatal bleedings from a total of 22 countries. The suspicion is that Ginkgo biloba enhances the effect of the anticoagulants.

Anticoagulants themselves involve a serious risk of internal bleedings, and every year, hundreds of people die as a result of taking anticoagulants. Therefore, without a scientific investigation, it is impossible to know whether it is Ginkgo biloba, the anticoagulants, or solely a combination of both that is responsible.

Every year, several hundred people – in Scandinavia alone – die from this inevitable side effect of anticoagulants, but a great many more are saved by it. The fact that some of the people who have suffered a cerebral haemorrhage have used Ginkgo biloba at the same time, in no way proves that the combination is risky.

More than 30 medicaments in general use can either fortify or weaken the effect of anticoagulants. Both situations can be highly dangerous. Examples of medicine that fortify the effect of anticoagulants are sulpha drugs used against cystitis, a number of antibiotics, and common painkillers like aspirin.

Kale, chicory, spinach, and many other vegetables also affect the treatment. That Ginkgo biloba should affect the treatment, however, has been repudiated in the only serious study performed to date. It is of Danish origin and was published in the Danish Weekly Magazine for Medical practitioners last year.

In a double-blind, randomized trial it was established that neither Ginkgo biloba nor co-enzyme Q10 had any influence on the haemorrhagic tendency in the 24 participants who were all being long-term treated with warfarin which is the most commonly used anticoagulant.

Unfortunately, anticoagulants do involve a risk of internal bleedings. This is unevitable. However, there is nothing to indicate that the this risk should be increased by taking Ginkgo biloba. On the contrary; present knowledge indicates the opposite!

Professor Ralph Edwards of the WHO Monitoring Centre in Uppsala, Sweden, feels abused by the press in this matter, as he says:
“We have NOT warned against Ginkgo biloba. There is no news in the statement of the WHO which is only a press release about new guidelines on information regarding dietary supplements and natural medicine. It is not even very likely that Ginkgo biloba should interact with anticoagulants, but it is common sense not to use a vasodilating supplement together with anticoagulants or in relation to an operation.”

By: Vitality Council

Reference:
Ugeskr Laeger. 2003;4;28;165(18):1868-71. [Effect of Coenzyme Q10 and Ginkgo biloba on warfarin dosage in patients on long-term warfarin treatment. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial].

Also see the original press release of the WHO.

www.dadlnet.dk
www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2004/pr44/en
www.iom.dk

You are Safe to Eat Fruit and Vegetables. No Basis for Over-interpretating scientific study

Admin

December 23, 2003

An observational study of 400 women having breast cancer compared with 400 women not having breast cancer has shown, that there is increased risk of Vitamin C intake by eating fruit and vegetables compared with Vitamin C intake by taking dietary supplements.

When we think about it a little bit, we know that it is healthy to eat fruit and vegetables, and so in the name of decency you have to check out such a study carefully.

The authors themselves write quite sensibly that its result is contrary to previous scientific studies about this and that it needs to be investigated further. – Fair enough.

By: Vitality Council

References:
1. Intake of vitamins A, C and E from diet and supplements and breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Cancer Causes and Control 2003;14:695-704. Oct. 2003.
2. Fish intake is positively associated with breast cancer incidence rate. J. Nutrition 2003;133:3664-3669. Nov. 2003.
3. Fruits and vegetable intake differentially affects estrogen receptor negative and positive breast cancer incidence rates. J. Nutrition 2003;133:2342-2347. July 2003.

www.cancer.dk
www.iom.dk