Vitamin E Pill & Exercise Regime Could Slow Aging

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Misty L. Trepke

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VITAMIN E PILL WITH EXERCISE REGIME COULD SLOW AGING

 

Republished with permission from http://www.NutraIngredients.com,

August 4, 2003

 

Taking vitamin E along with some regular exercise could help slow

down the aging process and improve health among the elderly, say

researchers in the US. Older men and women, asked to exercise

regularly and take vitamin E supplements, significantly decreased

their levels of a blood marker that signals free radical-induced

oxidative stress, known to contribute to aging and disease, report

nurses in the latest issue of Biological Research for Nursing.

 

And study participants who did not exercise but still took vitamin E

also showed significant decreases in oxidative stress and blood

pressure, they said. " The results of this study suggest that people

who are over 40 can benefit from regular moderate exercise and

vitamin E to protect against the destructive properties of free

radicals and their effects on our ageing bodies, " said James Jessup,

the study's principal investigator and an associate professor at the

University of Florida's College of Nursing.

 

Researchers have previously shown that antioxidants, such as

beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, could help protect the body

against free radicals, thought to also play a role in the development

of cancer, Alzheimer's disease and several other age-related

diseases. Evidence to support the role of antioxidants in specific

disease outcome is however inconclusive.

 

Over a two-year period, Jessup and his team studied 59 healthy men

and women, aged 60 to 75, who lived in a community retirement

facility in North Central Florida. They did not take regular

exercise. Half were randomly assigned to a group that exercised

routinely and half to a control group that did not. Participants in

each group were then randomly assigned to take daily vitamin E

supplements or placebos.

 

All study participants maintained their usual eating habits. Those in

the vitamin E groups took 800 international units of vitamin E, well

over the recommended daily allowance of 30 international units.

Exercise is thought to increase the production of free radicals and

the requirements for dietary antioxidants such as vitamin E.

 

Both exercise groups completed 16 weeks of supervised endurance

in the fourth and fifth weeks of the regimen.

 

Free radical damage in the two groups taking vitamin E was cut in

half, reported the researchers, measuring a key byproduct of the

impact of free radicals. Those in the sedentary group taking vitamin

E also showed a significant reduction in their systolic blood

pressure (an average of almost seven points).

 

The group who exercised and took vitamin E had an average drop of

about 15 points in their systolic blood pressure and about five

points in their diastolic blood pressure, as well as increased

weight loss and significant improvement in resting oxygen uptake, a

measure of cardiovascular fitness and endurance. The sedentary group

not taking vitamin E showed no significant changes.

 

The two groups taking vitamin E did not differ in their

concentrations of a byproduct of free radical damage, but exercise

produced extra, significant benefits such as weight loss, improved

cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure.

 

However even adults who cannot exercise should take vitamin E because

of its clear benefits to aging and systolic blood pressure, added

Jessup. The study suggests that currently recommended intakes of

vitamin E may not be enough for older adults.

 

Source: Biological Research for Nursing, Vol 5 Issue 1, July 2003