Association between vitamin E and hypertension is probably due to the effect vitamin E can have on the cardiovascular system. Studies do not show that vitamin E causes hypertension. In fact, vitamin E's antioxidant properties might help to prevent hypertension. Antioxidants prevent the formation of plaques within the blood vessels walls and the damage that could be done by free radicals in your cardiovascular system.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is fat-soluble vitamin. The most potent form of this vitamin is alpha-tocopherol, which also is the main form found in your body. Antioxidants are substances capable of destroying free radical compounds that damage your cells and DNA. According to the "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine," the best dietary sources of vitamin E are vegetable oils, seeds, nuts, green leafy vegetables and margarine.
Hypertension
Hypertension is a cardiovascular illness in which your arterial blood pressure is too high; if your body experiences hypertension for extended periods, the illness can lead to strokes, myocardial infarction, heart failure and arterial aneurysm. According to "Integrative Medicine," hypertension is one of the principle causes of chronic kidney failure. Doctors measure your blood pressure in millimeters of mercury and express blood pressure readings using two numbers. The first number is the systolic pressure and represents the pressure created by your heart. The second number is the diastolic pressure and represents the pressure in your blood vessels.
Wilfrid Shute
In the "Vitamin E Book," Wilfrid Shute discusses his work with vitamin E during the 1950s. Shute found heart benefits of supplementing with 200 IU a day of vitamin E, but also that people with high blood pressure need to gradually increase their daily intake of vitamin E. Shute concluded that vitamin E enhances your heart function and that people with established hypertension need to avoid sudden blood pressure changes. Shute additionally found that gradually increasing doses of vitamin E can result in lower blood pressure.
Vitamin E and Hypertension
It's unlikely that vitamin E alone can cause or prevent hypertension. This chronic illness is the result of many factors, including your cardiovascular integrity. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, vitamin E will not treat hypertension, but vitamin E supplementation can help heart health and function when combined with vitamin C supplementation. This dual action has an antioxidant effect on your body. Low levels of antioxidants can benefit your blood vessel walls and heart muscle. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends vitamin E supplementation of 400 IU per day combined with vitamin C supplementation of 200 to 250 mg two times per day to help prevent hypertension.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin E
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Pulmonary Hypertension; March 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Vitamin E
- "Dr. Wilfrid E. Shute's Complete...Updated Vitamin E Book"; Wilfrid E. Shute; 1980
- "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine"; Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno; 1997
- "Integrative Medicine"; David Rakel; 2002
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