As part of on ongoing initiative to further the understanding of how vitamin E can support human health, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ, has collaborated with leaders in the scientific community on several areas of research including examining the role of vitamin E in managing fatty liver disease, its use in model systems to prevent the sequelae of stroke, and the actions of vitamin E in facilitating membrane repair.
 
The scientific experts included Dr. Arun Sanyal, Virginia Commonwealth University, who has published studies on the efficacy of vitamin E to prevent the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The results of several human studies have demonstrated the benefit of vitamin E compared to placebo. Vitamin E was found to be effective in reducing the disease activity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, was safe in the applied dose and did not lead to side effects such as weight gain.
 
“This is a significant development, as obesity-related conditions such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease become key public health concerns on a global scale,” commented Dr. Arun Sanyal. “The results are clear evidence of the benefits that vitamin E supplementation can provide when there are no approved pharmacological treatments available. It is now very important that scientific experts work together to communicate the benefit to the medical community, health professionals and regulatory authorities on the role that vitamin E can play in the body. In particular, we need to address the potential concerns related to the long term safety of vitamin E, dose responses for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and whether the data from previous trials can be generalized.”
 
“Vitamin E is vital to supporting human health, yet it is estimated that more than 90% of the population in the United States does not meet the dietary intake recommendations for vitamin E,” added Prof. Manfred Eggersdorfer, senior vice president, Nutrition Science & Advocacy at DSM and professor for Healthy Ageing at University Groningen. “While the micronutrient is not currently high on the agenda of scientists and funding organizations, there is an urgent requirement for additional research to understand the benefits of vitamin E span beyond its well-known function as a fat soluble antioxidant. DSM is working to advance scientific understanding and we regularly attend events that provide an important forum for sharing exciting new discoveries.”
 
Prof. Manfred Eggersdorfer and Dr. Maret Traber, principal investigator and Professor, Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University and Oxygen Club of California (OCC) president, chaired a session on vitamin E at the OCC 2014 World Congress at the University of California, Davis. Other scientists that presented at the meeting included Chandan Sen, PhD, Ohio State University (vitamin E in model systems to prevent the sequelae of stroke); Joan Cook-Mills, PhD, Northwestern University and Qing Jiang, PhD, Purdue University (anti-inflammatory actions of vitamin E forms and their metabolites); Valerian E. Kagan, PhD, University of Pittsburgh (vitamin E and the regulation of enzymatic peroxidation); Jeffrey Atkinson, PhD, Brock University (behavior of alpha-tocopherol in membranes); and Paul L McNeil, Georgia Regents University (vitamin E and membrane repair).