Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
+32 25889658
ISSN: 2155-9600
+32 25889658
Szabolcs Peter
Satellite Symposium: J Nutr Food Sci
Dietary intake recommendations for vitamin E are established in many countries around the globe and refer to its important role in preserving the integrity of the cell membrane as a powerful chain-breaking antioxidant. In the US the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin E is 15 mg α-tocopherol in adults for both men and women, a value derived from the amount needed to prevent peroxide-induced hemolysis in vitamin E deficient subjects. So, the essentiality of vitamin E is well established and the intake needed to meet the RDAs can be achieved by a prudent diet. On the other hand, emerging data suggest that in diabetics carrying the haptoglobin genotype Hp 2-2 a daily intake of 400 mg vitamin E reduced a composite cardiovascular endpoint (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke) significantly. In addition, there is several studies reporting an improvement in fatty liver disease (NASH) by daily intakes of 400-800 mg vitamin E in both, children and adults. A recent study found a reduction of functional decline in Alzheimer Disease at an intake of 2000 mg of vitamin E per day confirming earlier findings. Currently, available evidence is limited for a possible function of vitamin E in human health beyond its role as an essential micronutrient. However, there is encouraging data for it which point to specific conditions and diseases at intakes which are likely not to be achieved by regular diet and which may be applicable for selected individuals and groups rather than for the general population.
Szabolcs Peter is a scientist at R&D Human Nutrition and Health of DSM Nutritional Products Ltd. in Switzerland. He obtained his M.D. (general medicine) and PhD (health sciences) degrees at Semmelweis University, Budapest. His doctoral thesis focused on the role of lifestyle in obesity prevention. Simultaneously he was working on childhood obesity at the Department of Nutritional Physiology of National Institute for Food and Nutrition Science. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship on metabolic syndrome at the School for Physiology and Nutrition of North West University in South Africa, he was engaged at Gedeon Richter Plc. in anti-obesity drug development.