Vitamin E Supplements Unhealthy for your Bones

Japanese study says that intake of vitamin E supplements could possibly weaken bones and making them frail before time. This study signals warning to the users and potential users, as their number continues to toll in the recent times. The reason behind ever-increasing use of vitamin E supplements, which is richly found in cereals, egg yolks, nuts and olive oil, is because of the resistance it offers against ageing.

Researchers reached at the conclusion after feeding animals on a vitamin E supplemented diet. After a certain time, comparison was made between animals fed on vitamin E supplements and the ones that ate normally, wherein former lost 20 per cent of the bone strength. On this basis, study focuses on the vitamin form alpha-tocopherol’s effect on bone strength.

Among the benefits rendered by nutritional supplements are reduction of risks associated with heart, cancers and cataracts. In addition to this, vitamin E supplements also sharpen mind and keep old skin glowing. The supplements have become immensely popular among Britons and US nationals. Bone building is a gradual process, wherein one gets broken and other is built. But with consumption of Vitamin E, the likelihood of osteoporosis is quite high, wherein old bone breaks at a rapid rate than its replacement.

Mice, having low level of the vitamin in their blood grew bones extra-thick, but could not build new bones. On addition of nutritional element vitamin E to diet, bone density returned to the normal. Another experiment was carried out where mice were given alpha-tocopherol vitamin E supplement in the same proportion as taken by people. In this case, thinning of bones by a fifth in just two months was observed.

Professor Helen MacDonald of National Osteoporosis Society made it clear that people consuming high doses of the nutrient in supplements need to worry, as nutritional element is safe to consume in a regular diet.