It’s one of the most important antioxidants for adding years to your life. Vitamin E protects you from heart disease and chromosome damage. Getting the right form reduces your risk for lung cancer by 61 percent.1 But the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) says otherwise.
The USPSTF is an independent panel of non-federal medical experts. Their goal is to make up-to-date and accurate recommendations about preventive medicine. But they missed the mark on this one. Big time.
Their verdict on this vitamin? There’s no reason to take it.2
And the mainstream media has reported this without question. They say this vital nutrient actually raises lung cancer risk. And if you already have lung cancer, vitamin E makes it grow and spread nearly three times faster. According to most media outlets, you should go out of your way to avoid it.
That advice could increase your chances of developing lung cancer—for a very simple reason… They used the wrong form of the vitamin.
Make no mistake, there’s a major flaw in the research the media outlets aren’t talking about.
In their study, researchers used DL-alpha tocopherol. It’s the manmade form of vitamin E. Synthetic vitamins don’t work as effectively as natural ones. And vitamin E is no exception.
Your body has to work harder to recognize it.3 But that’s not what makes it so dangerous.
DL-alpha tocopherol is a chemical byproduct. It comes from petroleum processing. Taking it can disrupt your endocrine system and throw your hormone production out of balance.
It’s similar in structure to the natural form of vitamin E. Its name even looks like the natural form of the vitamin, D-alpha tocopherol. But that one “L” makes all the difference. The “DL” form doesn’t support your health the like the natural “D” version.4
We’re not surprised that the USPSTF didn’t find benefit to taking synthetic vitamin E. We’re not even shocked that taking it could make lung cancer spread faster. But to not differentiate the natural vitamin from chemical waste? Well that’s just entirely irresponsible.
Don’t let deceptive headlines trick you about vitamin E. The natural form—D-alpha tocopherol—is a powerful antioxidant and vital to your health.
You can never go wrong by getting nutrients from natural, healthy foods. Wild-caught salmon, hazelnuts, almonds, and avocado are all high in natural vitamin E. You can still choose to get your vitamin E from a supplement. Just be sure it uses D-alpha tocopherol and not the deadly knockoff.
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References:
1http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3380426/
2http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1832969
3http://www.totalhealthmagazine.com/articles/vitamins-and-supplements/natural-versus-synthetic-vitamins-minerals-whats-the-difference.html
4http://www.greenmedinfo.com/toxic-ingredient/dl-alpha-tocopherol-acetate