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By Melissa Tennen, HealthAtoZ writer
High doses of vitamin E and C supplements taken together may help reduce the risk for Alzheimer's disease, according to a study in the Archives of Neurology.
This research adds to studies that suggest some vitamins can either delay or prevent the disease. If this is true, these high doses of vitamins can help reduce the growing numbers of sufferers, which may double or even triple in the next 50 years.
"The protective benefit was very specific to those individuals taking high doses of these vitamins in combination," says Peter Zandi, Ph.D., lead researcher and assistant professor in the department of mental health at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, in Baltimore. The study was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Mental Health.
"What's really interesting is that those in the study taking vitamin C alone or vitamin E alone did not have this same reduction in risk," he says.
That's because of how the vitamins may interact in the body, Zandi says. Vitamin C is water-soluble, meaning it can pass through your body easily. Vitamin E is considered fat-soluble, meaning it tends to be stored in your body.
"Vitamin C may serve to recharge the amount of vitamin E hanging around in the body," he says.
Much larger doses
Researchers looked at 5,000 people, most of whom were 65 and older in Cache County, Utah, who took supplements. Vitamin E users were taking more than 400 international units (IU) and more than 500 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C. People who took multivitamins consumed lower doses of vitamins C and E. Others took just one of the supplements.
The regular recommended daily allowance for vitamin E is 22 IU and vitamin C is 75 mg to 90 mg.
People taking the combined high doses of vitamins C and E had a lower risk for developing Alzheimer's. However people taking multivitamins, which tend to have lower doses, and those taking just one of the two supplements did not show a benefit.
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage caused by substances called free radicals. Vitamin C and the carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein are also antioxidants. When cells use oxygen, they release free radicals as byproducts. If these free radicals are left unchecked, cells could be damaged, possibly leading to cancer and heart disease.
This type of research could be good news, particularly since the amount of Alzheimer's may double or even triple in the next 50 years.
Benefits not confirmed
But don't rush out to the store just yet. Before researchers and doctors can recommend anything like this, large, randomized studies must be done to prove this study's results. Some work in this area is already underway.
"People in the study might have been more health conscious. They might have had better access to medical care. We just couldn't tell in our study," Zandi says.
Other studies suggest antioxidants might help protect the brain against the disease, but the jury is still out.
While not strong enough to encourage people to take these doses of vitamins, research like Zandi's is valuable, says William Thies, Ph.D., vice president of medical and scientific affairs for The Alzheimer's Association.
"This kind of study fits into the campaign we've been doing - Maintain Your Brain - where we are encouraging people to maintain cognitive function throughout life by keeping track of blood cholesterol, pressure and blood sugar, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in fat, getting regular mental stimulation, exercising, and having regular contact with society.
"The young people living today are going to live a long time," Thies says. "They are not going to sit in a recliner and wait for things to come to them. These are people who might have second, third careers in their 60s, 70s and 80s."
Don't take these vitamins on your own. Talk to your doctor first to be sure they won't affect prescription medications you are taking.
Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging, but a devastating disorder of the brain's nerve cells that impairs memory, thinking and behavior. The progressive disease eventually leads to death and does not have a cure. About 4.5 million Americans have this disease. However, medications can help slow Alzheimer's.
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External Sources
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The Alzheimer's Association
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The National Institutes of Health
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The National Institute of Mental Health
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This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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