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Vitamin Deficiencies – Diagnosis and Treatment
Published in Jennifer Doley, Mary J. Marian, Adult Malnutrition, 2023
Physical signs of deficiency of vitamin E include age spots, vision changes or loss, ophthalmoplegia (weakness of muscles responsible for eye movements), ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid), dysarthria and ataxia. Other signs can include hemolytic anemia, increased platelet aggregation, and urinary creatinine wasting.1
Chronic Liver Disease
Published in Praveen S. Goday, Cassandra L. S. Walia, Pediatric Nutrition for Dietitians, 2022
Julia M. Boster, Kelly A. Klaczkiewicz, Shikha S. Sundaram
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that plays a role in the health of the nervous system, retina, and skeletal muscle. Vitamin E deficiency can lead to neurologic impairment, characterized by hyporeflexia, peripheral neuropathy, ataxia, and proximal muscle weakness. Vitamin E deficiency can be assessed by the serum vitamin E level. Vitamin E, however, circulates in lipoproteins, and as such can be falsely elevated in cholestasis. Therefore, ideally a vitamin E to total lipid ratio (α-tocopherol:total lipid) should be used in children with cholestasis to screen for deficiency, with a ratio of <0.6 mg/g in children <1 year of age and <0.8 mg/g in children >1 year of age indicating deficiency. Alternatively, an α-tocopherol:cholesterol ratio has been proposed, with a cutoff of <2.47 mg/g indicating deficiency.
Micronutrients
Published in Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy, Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy
Regarding health risks from excessive vitamin E intake, research has not found any adverse effects from consuming natural vitamin E in food (69–71, 77). However, high doses of alpha-tocopherol supplements can cause hemorrhage and interrupt blood coagulation in animals, and in vitro data suggest that high doses inhibit platelet aggregation. Two clinical trials have found an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke in participants taking alpha-tocopherol supplement (70, 77, 78). Hypervitaminosis E may also counteract vitamin K leading to a vitamin K deficiency (70, 73). In high doses, vitamin E has pro-oxidant properties that are harmful to the body and may cause nausea, diarrhea, or vision troubles. Also, vitamin E supplementation combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer therapy is to be avoided.
Nutrient effects on working memory across the adult lifespan
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2023
Selene Cansino, Frine Torres-Trejo, Cinthya Estrada-Manilla, Adriana Flores-Mendoza, Gerardo Ramírez-Pérez, Silvia Ruiz-Velasco
Among micronutrients, the consumption of γ-tocopherol and δ-tocopherol compounds of vitamin E positively influenced working memory discrimination levels. Vitamin E has powerful antioxidant properties, and while the main function of α-tocopherol is to prevent the production of new free radicals, γ-tocopherol neutralizes existing free radicals [38]. The present findings are in agreement with observational and intervention studies that have demonstrated the benefits of vitamin E in reducing cognitive decline and even improving cognitive performance [39]. The micronutrient vitamin B6 also positively influenced working memory performance. Vitamin B6 participates in the synthesis of serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitters and in the metabolism of homocysteine, amino acids and fatty acids, among other multiple biochemical reactions [40]. In the cognitive domain, it has been observed that higher concentrations of serum vitamin B6 are associated with better memory performance in older adults. Conversely, vitamin B6 deficiency is associated with poor cognitive performance and dementia [40], likely due to increased plasma homocysteine levels.
Vitamin E for the management of major depressive disorder: possible role of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant systems
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2022
Luana M. Manosso, Anderson Camargo, Alcir L. Dafre, Ana Lúcia S. Rodrigues
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that was discovered in 1922 [8]. Nowadays, eight chemically different analogs of this vitamin have been reported to be present in food, alpha (α), beta (β), gamma (γ) and delta (δ)-tocopherol and α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocotrienols [9]. Tocopherols and tocotrienols have a similar structure that includes a hydrophilic chromanol ring and an isoprenoid side chain. The difference between them is that tocopherol has a saturated chain, whereas tocotrienol has an unsaturated chain. The differences between the tocopherol analogous α, β, γ, and δ are the number and location of methyl groups in the chromanol ring [10,11]. Among the eight analogs of vitamin E, α-tocopherol is the most abundant in foods and the primary source of this vitamin. Most notable among the food sources of vitamin E are vegetable oils, seeds (especially almonds, peanuts, and sunflower), breakfast cereals fortified with vitamin E, eggs, and some fruit and vegetables [12,13], as shown in Figure 1. According to ‘Dietary Reference Intakes’ the recommended daily intake of vitamin E for an average-sized adult is 15 mg [14].
Role of Vitamin E in Selected Malignant Neoplasms in Women
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2022
Anna Markowska, Michał Antoszczak, Janina Markowska, Adam Huczyński
Nevertheless, it should be noted that the conclusions resulting from research on the anticancer effect of vitamin E are inconclusive. While some studies show the extremely promising effect of vitamin E on cancer cells (lower vitamin E intake/nutritional status, or vitamin E supplementation to be associated with increased or decreased cancer risk, respectively), others provide quite the opposite conclusions. Therefore, it is necessary to perform extensive research, including extensive and well-controlled clinical trials taking into account, inter alia, the type of vitamin E analog used (tocopherols vs. tocotrienols), vitamin E isoforms (α-, β-, γ-, and δ-), duration of use (prediagnosis vs. post-diagnosis) or the duration of treatment, to unequivocally validate the obtained results. It seems that the most advantageous solution would be the use of vitamin E as an optional adjuvant supporting the action of known cytostatics. However, this requires further research and strict control of vitamin E levels in the blood, as vitamin E deficiency is harmful to the body, but excess vitamins can also lead to unwanted and unfavorable side effects.