Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have
discovered that only one form of Vitamin E -- alpha-tocopherol --
appears to be beneficial in protecting against bladder cancer. Other
forms of the popular vitamin, such as gamma-tocopherol (which is
consumed in much higher quantities in the United States) offers no such
protection.
The research helps explain why some studies seem to show
Vitamin E to be effective while other studies show just the opposite:
the vast majority of studies make no differentiation between the forms
of the vitamin and just lump all Vitamin E together.
Now here's the
interesting part to all this: most Americans are consuming vast
quantities of the "ineffective" Vitamin E (the gamma form) but very
little of the "good" Vitamin E (the alpha form). That's because the
ineffective form is high in soybean oil, and soybean oil is one of the
most frequently-consumed oils in the western diet because it's cheap to
produce and is the primary oil used for the ingredient known as
hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil. Most margarine and
shortening, for example, is made with soybean oil.
The alpha form of
Vitamin E, on the other hand, is found in higher quantities in green
vegetables, almonds, sunflower seeds and safflower oils -- foods that
most Americans eat in much smaller quantities. As a result, most people
exhibit nutritional deficiencies in Vitamin E, say the researchers: the
minimum daily requirement is 15mg, but the average American eats just
8mg. This is partly because we eat so many milled grains that have been
stripped of their natural Vitamin E content. The whole grain of wheat,
for example, contains Vitamin E, but refined white flour has virtually
none because the germ of the grain is removed during the milling
process.
Clearly, Vitamin E is an important nutrient for good
health, and it is well known to be useful for far more than just bladder
cancer. Americans need to get more Vitamin E into their diets, and that
means eating more healthy oils, nuts, seeds and whole grains. The best
sources? Wheat germ, almonds and safflower oil. It is difficult to get
enough Vitamin E through foods alone, however, so consider adding a
nutritional supplement containing "natural" Vitamin E to your daily
diet.
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and award-winning journalist with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams co-founded NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing site that has now grown in popularity. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NaturalNews email newsletters. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, martial arts and organic gardening. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
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Thursday, May 20, 2004
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