Vitamin E Overdose Info

Is Vitamin E overdose possible?

An interesting question considering some recently released information stating that those taking Vitamin E supplements run the risk of dying earlier than those who don't.

My opinion on this? While we admit we don't have a Ph.D in biochemistry, we feel such claims are utterly ridiculous and irresponsible. Why do I think this?

Because the drug business, in the United States at least, has enormous power and they yield it routinely. In other words, anything that can possibly interfere with their profits, they will seek to discredit. This opinion has been formed over three decades of observation.

I also have friends who are certified master herbalists who have been persecuted for actually healing people of diseases!

The study in question was published in early November 2004 by researchers at John Hopkins University and was published in Annals of Internal Medicine. In the study, they reviewed 19 specifically different vitamin E studies from 1966 and 2004 to a meta-analysis. Total number of subjects' ages ranged from 47 to 84, totaling 135,967.  

Dosages of vitamin E ranged from 16.5 to 2,000 IU (international units) per day. Let's quote directly from the newsletter which incited this article to give you the full flavor:

In other words this was not a 'physical' study in its own right but rather a compilation of data from many studies which are pre-selected by the researchers. They then take this data and feed it into various 'meta-analysis' software and adjust the information to eventually reach certain conclusions.

Hmmm... interesting! BUT... are their conclusions reliable ones? Who knows... what we do know however is that the conclusions in these meta-analyses can be highly speculative because of the different variables in each of the studies included in the analyses. For example, what was the source of vitamin E, was it natural or synthetic (the difference is significant), what was the study duration, health/disease condition of subjects, etc. Hence, the study doesn't provide definitive proof of anything, due to the lack of uniform protocols and patient groups.

Nonetheless, In spite of the lack of definitive proof, this study does tend to reinforce a principle that we have long adhered to. What is this principle? Very simply ... no single nutrient is the panacea for any ailment. In fact a single nutrient can sometimes do more harm that good.

Politics

This has been one of the fundamental faults of the supplement industry since its early days. Rather than design products based on science the industry has tended to bow to public demand for the latest 'fad' nutrient. The public get to learn of a specific nutrient that has certain beneficial properties and then everyone wants it, and manufacturers then provide what the public wants which is generally based on the premise that more is better, so consequently products come out with higher and higher doses of individual nutrients.

Usually both manufacturers and consumers alike are oblivious to the short and long term side effects of taking some nutrients on their own. This in turn contributes to the worldwide trend for authorities to limit the doses of a number of supplement ingredients.

That in itself would not be too serious but it has started a 'ball rolling' which has other negative implications for both industry and consumers alike. But, that is another story for another day. Getting back to this Vitamin E Overdose web page, professional supplementation is the answer to good general health and longevity.

Taking isolated nutrients in high doses is counter productive to the objective. A classic example of taking high doses of a nutrient on its own was the beta-carotene debacle in 1996.

Two studies (referred to as the ATBC and CARET studies) produced evidence that taking beta-carotene alone may increase cancer risks for smokers. The scientific explanation for this is that all the carotenoids which beta-carotene is just one, work synergistically as a team - recharging and supporting each other to confer the health benefits.

In other words other carotenoids such as lutein etc have to be present in order to duplicate nature as much as possible. But, of course this was not explained to the public as scary headlines are more attractive to the media in general.

Politics - Cont'd

While admittedly our linking of this study and other studies to the drug companies is sketchy at best, it is no uncommon in the hugely profitable health care industry to get marketing and advertising shills to promote, disguise, and market a product or company that has at its core a desire for gain above all -- even to the exclusion of helping others' health.

A perfect example is the "Got Milk" campaign. Milk, while it certainly has some positive aspects to it health wise, milk is one of the worst things people can drink. The meat advertising campaign as well does the same thing. Yes, meat certainly does have some health benefits, but in our opinion, it does more harm than good. (Do WE eat milk products or eat meat? Yes, occasionally and very sparingly but certainly not at every meal.)

Historically, cigarette companies sponsored advertising campaigns to actually tout the benefits of cigarette smoking by quoting studies that validated such a claim. But no more -- once the public wised up.

My Point: Just remember, just because some organization, research study, or doctor says something is good or bad for you shouldn't be canonized as if he or she was Moses just down from the mount. If you've explored other pages on this site, you'll know we speak highly of research studies, doctors, and medical practitioners, even recommending you consult with your doctor before beginning any kind of supplementation program.

All I'm saying is use your common sense, your mind, to look through the fog and to think for yourself.

Final Word: It's not new that vitamin E should be persecuted. As early as the late 1940s, two Canadian doctors, Evan Shute and his brother Wilfrid were treating heart patients with vitamin E at their clinic in London, Ontario. Moreover, both were denounced by the North American medical community.

Hippie Movement?

In fact as late as the early 70s, vitamin E research was largely ignored, until the "hippie movement brought it to the awareness of the medical establishment. Since then, it's been widely researched and discussed having found its way into accepted scientific journals as a nutrient with many positive health benefits.

German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer was right, "Truth goes through three states: First, it is ridiculed and mocked, secondly, it's violently opposed, and then it's accepted as self-evident." That was certainly the case with vitamin E.

Side Effects of Too Much Vitamin E

Vitamin E Side Effects Symptoms

Vitamin E Overdose... So, what are some of the side effects of vitamin E? Or, what are issues or consequences of vitamin E overdose? One doctor team has stated on their personal website that "there are no cases of vitamin E overdose have been reported." Vitamin E overdose is very, very, very rare, but any nutrient taken to excess, however, can be harmful.

Excessive amounts of vitamin E could be characterized by nausea, vomiting, sweats, etc. There are no known fatalities from taking too much vitamin E. Personally, I take about 67 mgs of vitamin E with the rest of it coming from our diet.

However, vitamin E side effects are as rare as an honest politician. In truth, they are very uncommon and are almost not reported at all. Very scanty evidence is available with such side effects happening. For those who want the benefits of Vitamin E, the U.S. government recommends that the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) is 8 mgs per day for adult women, 10 mgs daily for adult men. However, if you want therapeutic benefits of Vitamin E, you'll need to take more. I personally take a multivitamin supplement called that contains vitamin E and over 70 other nutrients including a full spectrum of not only vitamins but minerals, herbal extracts, trace minerals, enzymes, and specialty nutrients.

It is pharmaceutical grade quality manufactured by a company in New Zealand where dietary supplement manufacturing standards actually surpass the US FDA's requirements for prescription medication. Nutritionists as well as doctors recommend that vitamins should be taken with other minerals and trace elements as they are co-factors and interdependent biochemically.

Specifically, you should make sure if you take a vitamin E supplement that you also take it with Zinc as it needs Zinc to work properly. For basic yet vital Vitamin E information, click on our core Vitamin E informational web page in this website. It is complementary to this Vitamin E Overdose page.

I hope this Vitamin E Overdose web page has been useful to you.

Yours in health, hope, and harmony,
Nutritional-Supplement-Bible.com