Vitamin E Shows Modest Impact on Diabetes Risk in Women

BOSTON--Can vitamin E impact the risk of developing diabetes in women? Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) examined 10-year follow up data on a cohort of the Women's Health Study to compare the impact of vitamin E supplementation (600 IU/d) on the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Using data from more than 38,000 women aged 45 or under, the researchers determined women taking vitamin E had a 5-percent risk reduction in developing Type 2 diabetes; risk factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), postmenopausal hormone use, multivitamin use, physical activity, alcohol intake and smoking status did not affect the vitamin E results.The study appeared in Diabetes Journal (55, 10:2856-62, 2006).