Vitamin E and Non-Communicable Diseases: A Review

Abstract

Vitamin E, a nutrient found in several foods, comprises eight lipophilic vitamers, the α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherols and the α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocotrienols. This vitamin is capable of exerting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, and acting as immunomodulators. Despite these well-known biological activities, the findings regarding the ability of vitamin E and its serum metabolites to prevent and/or control chronic disease are often conflicting and inconsistent. In this review, we have described the metabolism of vitamin E and its interaction with the gut microbiota, considering that these factors may be partially responsible for the divergent results obtained. In addition, we focused on the correlations between vitamin E serum levels, dietary intake and/or supplementation, and the main non-communicable diseases, including diabetes mellitus, asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and the four most common cancers (breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer) with the intention of providing an overview of its health effects in the non-communicable-diseases prevention.

Translational Research on Bee Pollen as a Source of Nutrients: A Scoping Review from Bench to Real World

“…Nevertheless, recent studies that investigated BP’s antioxidant effects are summarized in Table 2 . Vitamins, for example, such as C [ 124 , 125 ], D [ 126 , 127 ], and E [ 128 , 129 ], are also well-documented antioxidants that are found in BP. As another example, polysaccharides from Carthamus tinctorius BP were repeatedly reported as having important antioxidant activities, such as upregulating antioxidant enzymes activities and lowering circulating levels of oxidative elements in many locations including the serum, liver and brain [ 130 ].…”

“…A countless number of studies unveiling the antidiabetic properties, including early preventive, disease course modifying, and complication limiting effects, of individual nutrients and phytochemicals that are ubiquitously present in BP from different botanical and geographical origins have been published so far. This includes, for example, nutrients including vitamins such as groups B [ 241 , 242 , 243 ], C [ 244 , 245 , 246 ], D [ 247 , 248 , 249 ], and E [ 128 , 250 , 251 ], oligo-elements and other minerals [ 252 , 253 , 254 ], and lipids such as unsaturated fatty acids [ 255 , 256 , 257 ] and phytosterols [ 63 , 258 , 259 ], as well as other phytochemicals including polyphenols such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and stilbenes (very recent and comprehensive reviews of preclinical and clinical evidence can be found in [ 260 , 261 , 262 , 263 , 264 , 265 , 266 ]). Despite the substantial amount of experimental and clinical evidence of all these BP compounds in the complex pathophysiology of diabetes and in its interaction with other comorbidities, the possible synergistic potential and real clinical outcome of these compounds, which are always combined in BP, have generally been omitted in research and must be further studied by in vivo experiments, and subsequently verified and objectively assessed by clinical studies.…”

Naturally Occurring Antioxidants in Seven Well-Known Fruits from the Republic of Suriname (South America): Part 2

“…Due to its peroxyl radical-scavenging activity, α-tocopherol also protects the polyunsaturated fatty acids in membrane phospholipids and plasma lipoproteins [143]. As a result, α-tocopherol has been associated with the prevention of, among others, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, aging, arthritis, age-related eye and skin damage, and infertility [144,145]. Because it is able to inhibit air oxidation, it is also used to fortify and extend the lifetime of foods, oils, and industrial materials [146].…”

Effects of Vitamin E on the Gut Microbiome in Ageing and Its Relationship with Age-Related Diseases: A Review of the Current Literature

“…Vitamin E is a collective term for isoprenoid chromanols. This lipophilic or fat-soluble molecule consists of eight naturally occurring forms, including α-tocopherol (αT), βtocopherol (βT), γ-tocopherol (γT), δ-tocopherol (δT) and α-tocotrienol (αTE), β-tocotrienol (βTE), γ-tocotrienol (γTE) and δ-tocotrienol (δTE) [40]. All forms of vitamin E contain a chromanol ring, but there is an obvious distinction between tocopherols and tocotrienols.…”