E Vitamins

Vitamin E Consumption

(Toronto, ON) The Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) is joining the US-based Council of Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and Australia’s Complementary Healthcare Council in reminding people about the body of research proving the many health benefits of regular vitamin E consumption. The CHFA is also cautioning Canadians about changing their vitamin E consumption habits based on recent attention being paid to a study that raises questions about vitamin E, because the study has limited relevance for healthy Canadians.

“There is a plethora of international research that supports the benefits of regular vitamin E consumption and we want to reassure Canadians who regularly take vitamin E that the recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine is not a cause for concern because of the age and health of the people involved in the study, and the type of vitamin E (natural or synthetic) on which its results are based,” says Valerie Bell, President, Canadian Health Food Association.

“While we support ongoing research in the field, we are concerned that Canadians are being mislead in terms of what they’ve heard or read recently about vitamin E.  It’s important that they understand that the study referred to in these reports drew its conclusions on a combination of studies involving people who were already at grave risk with existing diseases including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and kidney failure.  The researchers themselves acknowledge that the results are generalizations and the relevance of the findings to the general population is uncertain.

Secondly, the combination of trials on which the results are based may not have used the same form of Vitamin E, or necessarily the form of Vitamin E that the majority of people generally use.”

Bell says that a number of Canadian experts support the CHFA position and are also reminding Canadians of the many scientifically-proven health benefits of regular vitamin E consumption – including the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease – that a large body of research clearly supports.

“We encourage Canadians to talk to their natural health provider or doctor before making any change in their vitamin E consumption habits,” says Bell.

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About the Canadian Health Food Association: The Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) is a non-profit federally chartered trade association.  Its 1,300 members include retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, consultants and other member associations that are involved in a variety of industry sub sectors such as supplements, vitamins, herbals, homeopathics, sports nutrition products, natural foods and organic products. CHFA members believe that access to natural health foods and nutritional supplements is the democratic right of every Canadian. To that end, they are committed to protecting and furthering the interests of the Canadian natural products industry. For more information visit www.chfa.ca