International Experts Convene on Vitamin E Benefits and Potency
June 14 2004 - 9:01AM
PR Newswire (US)
International Experts Convene on Vitamin E Benefits and Potency
Conference Report Could Impact Nutritional Guidelines BOSTON, June
14 /PRNewswire/ -- Renowned experts from around the world in the
fields of medicine, nutrition, chemistry and biology met recently
to share research findings and to move towards a consensus on the
specific biological functions and relative potencies of the various
forms of vitamin E in the human body. The discussions should impact
the recommended intake levels for the nutritional supplement, which
has been widely celebrated for its antioxidant properties and
potential to prevent cancer and cardio-vascular disease. The round
table meeting, initiated by the Oxygen Club of California in
cooperation with BASF Aktiengesellschaft, was chaired by Lester
Packer, Ph.D., University of Southern California School of
Pharmacy, and Salomon Stavchansky, Ph.D., University of Texas
College of Pharmacy and organized by Frank Kelly, Ph.D., King's
College, and Moshen Meydani, D.V.M., Ph.D., Tufts University. The
session came one day in advance of the prestigious vitamin E and
Health Conference in Boston, MA, which was sponsored by the New
York Academy of Sciences. "Recent research is revolutionizing our
understanding of the numerous forms of vitamin E and expanding the
recognized benefits of vitamin E intake for human health and
disease prevention," Dr. Packer said. "This is not the time to take
a narrow view of vitamin E potency and efficacy, either as
researchers or on nutrition labels." The round table discussion
addressed the following topics: * Valid biomarkers for vitamin E
function in humans * Relevance of plasma levels in establishing
biopotency for different forms of vitamin E * Appropriate
biopotency ratio of natural vs. synthetic forms of vitamin E *
Intake values for nutritional and supplemental ingestion of vitamin
E * Priority areas for future research A consensus statement of
recommendations from the round table will be submitted to a
peer-reviewed journal for publication. In addition, the conclusions
will be shared with the U.S. Institute of Medicine's Food &
Nutrition Board, US Pharmacopeia, international regulatory bodies
and the news media. "The panel identified several new and exciting
directions for future research," Dr. Packer noted. "Our shared
vision embraces both fundamental research and investigations into
the biomedical implications of vitamin E as an agent to maintain
good health and protect against disease." Participants at the
roundtable meeting included: Angelo Azzi, M.D., University of Bern;
Regina Brigelius-Flohe, Ph.D., German Institute of Human Nutrition;
Willy Cohn, Ph.D., DSM Nutritional Products; Frank Kelly, Ph.D.,
King's College; Klaus Kraemer, Ph.D., BASF Aktiengesellschaft; John
Lodge, Ph.D., University of Surrey; Joseph Lunec, Ph.D., University
of Leicester; Moshen Meydani, D.V.M., Ph.D., Tufts University;
Simin Nikbin Meydani, D.V.M., Ph.D., Tufts University; David
Muller, Ph.D., Institute of Child Health; Gerald Rimbach, Ph.D.,
University of Kiel; Helmut Sies, M.D., Ph.D., University of
Dusseldorf; Timothy Sontag, Cornell University; Salomon
Stavchansky, Ph.D., University of Texas; Maret Traber, Ph.D.,
Oregon State University; Ute Obermueller-Jevic, Ph.D., BASF
Aktiengesellschaft and Govind Vatassery, Ph.D., V.A. Medical Center
in Minneapolis. The NYAS conference marked the first major
conference devoted entirely to vitamin E since 1989. During the
past 15 years, a number of new functions have been identified
within the family of vitamin E molecules, including new information
regarding the role of vitamin E in cell signaling, gene activity
and pathways of metabolism. New information has also been emerging
for the role of vitamin E in the prevention of infections and
disease. This multi- disciplinary conference reviewed research to
date and develop directions for new vitamin E research over the
next decade. DATASOURCE: BASF Aktiengesellschaft CONTACT: Andrea
Levin, +1-212-601-8337, for BASF Aktiengesellschaft
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