DSM Hosts Leading Scientific Experts at Vitamin E Workshop

11 Apr 2014 --- DSM is partnering with world-renowned experts in the field of vitamin E research to advance knowledge of its essential role in supporting human health. Leading scientists recently attended a workshop hosted by DSM, where the group discussed emerging research as well as approaches to defining appropriate dietary requirements for vitamin E.

The initiative is part of DSM’s ongoing work to highlight the decline in vitamin E intake globally, as it encourages food manufacturers, healthcare professionals and the scientific community to understand the health benefits of the micronutrient.

Topics highlighted included a major study, which found that vitamin E can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and research to indicate that vitamin E can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in a group of diabetic patients, in particular those which have a specific genotype . With 1.4 billion people now affected from obesity worldwide, there is also evidence to demonstrate that vitamin E supplementation can limit the negative health implications of fatty liver disease before it becomes a key public health concern on a global scale.

Experts that attended the workshop included Dr. Maret Traber, Principal Investigator and Professor, Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. She comments: “People should consume at least 15mg alpha-tocopherol daily – whether from multi-vitamins or dietary sources – to meet a level that is associated with decreased risk of mortality and all chronic diseases. In the United States, less than 93 per cent of the population currently achieves sufficient intake. DSM’s latest workshop served to highlight how far we still have to go to improve evaluation markers of vitamin E adequacy, in order to effectively demonstrate the health benefits of vitamin E.”

Manfred Eggersdorfer, Senior Vice President, Nutrition Science & Advocacy at DSM and Professor of Healthy Aging at the University of Groningen added: “The workshop provided a stimulus for a number of promising approaches to address the inadequate intake of vitamin E in many population groups and we took the opportunity to discuss emerging science on important health benefits. There is a growing body of science to demonstrate that the benefits of vitamin E span beyond its well known function as a fat soluble antioxidant. The ongoing partnership between DSM and key members of the scientific community will advance our understanding of the role of vitamin E in supporting human health.”

Vitamin E is a generic term for eight fat-soluble compounds found in nature, of which ‘alpha-tocopherol’ has the highest biological activity and is the most abundant in the human body. It plays an important role in supporting brain, eye, cardiovascular, maternal and infant health, as well as protecting the skin. The European Commission has authorized an Article 13.1 health claim stating that ‘vitamin E contributes to the protection of cell constituents from oxidative damage’. It maintains the integrity of cell membranes in the human body, as well as protecting omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from being oxidized.