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Oxidative stress is believed to play a role in a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Scientists examined if vitamin E could protect cognitive function in women.
Oxidative Stress if Bad for the BrainOxidative stress is thought to be an important biological cause of dementia. For example, in Alzheimer's Disease it appears to be implicated in the death of neuronal cells beginning in the earliest stages of the disease. If this is the case, it's possible that reducing the levels of oxidants in the brain could delay or prevent mental decline. Why Vitamin E?Vitamin E is a strong anti-oxidant, a type of compound that helps relieve oxidative stress in the body. Earlier experiments with mice that were bred to provide a model for Alzheimer's found that they developed significantly less neuronal damage when given vitamin E supplements from an early age (5-13 months). Studies on humans with Alzheimers showed that highly concentrated vitamin E supplements helped them live for longer periods outside of the nursing home. The StudyAs part of the Women's Health Study, almost 6500 healthy older women were randomly placed on either placebo or vitamin E supplements (600 IU every other day). The cognitive function study began over five years after the initial administration of the supplements. It involved an original cognitive assessment, and then follow up assessments after 2 and 4 years. 80% of the women involved in the cognitive function portion of the study completed all three assessments. Those not participating in all three either died between assessments, could not be located, or refused to respond. Back to the Drawing BoardThe group taking vitamin E and the group receiving placebos achieved similar scores on average for the original battery of cognitive tests. This trend held true for both sets of follow up examinations. Women taking vitamin E also proved no less likely to experience a substantial overall cognitive decline than those taking placebo, though it is possible that it protected against a significant decrease on the score of one of the tests, which measured verbal memory. While the vitamin E supplement did seem to offer some benefit to women with a vitamin-poor diet or those who did not exercise regularly, it failed to prove itself as a worthwhile tool for the protection of women's mental health. There is some chance that higher dosages or treatment periods of longer than 10 years could offer better results, but it is more likely that another supplement will prove more practical and effective. The hope is that other anti-oxidants may perform better at lower levels when administered for shorter periods of time. References:Kang, JH; Cook, N; Manson, J; et al. A Randomized Trial of Vitamin E Supplementation and Cognitive Function in Women. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:2462-2468.
The copyright of the article Women's Mental Health in Women’s Health is owned by Daniel Devine. Permission to republish Women's Mental Health in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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