Vitamin E Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Vitamin E, including details on benefits, dosage, supplements, antioxidants.

The decrease in gamma-tocopherol in plasma and lipoprotein fractions levels off within two days of vitamin E supplementation.

Sundl I, Resch U, Bergmann AR, Roob JM, Winklhofer-Roob BM

Human Nutrition & Metabolism Research and Training Center, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Karl-Franzens University, Schubertstrasse 1, A-8010 Graz, Austria.

The effects of vitamin E supplementation on alpha- and gamma-tocopherol concentrations were studied in plasma and lipoprotein fractions of five healthy volunteers taking 1000 IU/day of RRR alpha-tocopherol for 4 days. Although plasma alpha-tocopherol increased, gamma-tocopherol decreased. Compared with baseline, gamma-/alpha-tocopherol ratios decreased from 48 h onward (P < 0.001). They all leveled off within 48 h. From 12 h onward, gamma-/alpha-tocopherol ratios were higher in VLDL and IDL than in LDL and HDL, indicating that gamma-tocopherol is better maintained in triglyceride-rich lipoprotein fractions. These data suggest that vitamin E supplementation exceeding 2 days does not further decrease gamma-tocopherol concentrations.

Published 8 March 2005 in Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1031: 378-80.
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