Vitamin E weight loss on obesity-related CVD have been mixed — some studies report positive findings…
Vitamin E plays a role in immune function, gene expression regulation, and a variety of other metabolic processes. According to research, this nutrient may also hold promise in applications for vitamin E weight loss and the treatment of the chronic inflammatory condition that affects 41.9% of the U.S. population: obesity.
Obesity, inflammation, and vitamin E
A 2020 article published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research explains that people with obesity have increased levels of both oxidative and inflammatory stress. This creates an internal environment where inflammatory diseases can progress.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties, and different forms of this vitamin modulate inflammation to varying levels. One reason for this variation is that each form regulates nuclear factor kappa B (NF-KB) differently. Each also has a different impact on other inflammatory modulators, such as inflammasome NLRP3.
Both NF-KB and the inflammasome NLRP3 are present in obesity and some of its related health conditions, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The article adds that many studies have connected vitamin E therapies with having effects on both foundational and secondary obesity diseases, positively impacting both inflammation levels and the condition itself.
Vitamin E weight loss for obesity-related CVD
Another health concern for people with obesity is cardiovascular disease (CVD). The risk of CVD due to obesity is 64% for women and 46% for men according to a narrative review published in a July 2022 issue of Clinical Nutrition. This review further states that vitamin E is one of the essential antioxidants that can help protect against lipid oxidative damage and reduce inflammation — and it is frequently deficient in women with obesity.
The authors do stress that vitamin E weight loss on obesity-related CVD have been mixed. Some studies report positive findings, some show no significant effects, and others show negative outcomes with vitamin E supplementation. The reasons cited for these different findings include the impact of too many other factors, such as whether the person smokes, prior CVD events, daily vitamin E intake, absorption issues due to weight and inflammation, and more. Therefore, further research needs to be conducted to understand this vitamin’s impact on CVD more clearly.
Vitamin E and obesity, in general
Taking obesity-related health issues out of the equation, vitamin E status may be associated with body weight, at least to a certain extent. For example, a 2021 cross-sectional study involving 404 adolescents noted that for teenage girls specifically, as their vitamin E levels increased, their risk of being overweight or obese decreased. No inverse association was found for the adolescent boys included in the study.
Again, studies involving vitamin E weight loss have found mixed results. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Clinical Nutrition in May 2021 reports that vitamin E status appears to have no significant effects on weight, body mass index (BMI), or weight circumference. However, when people with a healthy or “normal” BMI of 18.5-24.9 supplement with vitamin E, this may increase BMI. Another study echoed this finding, positively correlating vitamin E intake with the risk of being overweight or obese.
So, does vitamin E contribute to or help resolve obesity?
At this time, science does not definitively support vitamin E weight loss efforts for increasing or decreasing obesity risk. What it does suggest is that vitamin E may play a role in modulating the inflammation that occurs with obesity while also not being an end-all cure.
In other words, it is just one piece of the puzzle and can be impacted by multiple other factors, highlighting the complexity of both obesity and the human body’s response to dietary supplements.
Because vitamin E does play a role in many important biological processes, getting enough daily can help promote optimal health. The National Institutes of Health shares that the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adults is 15 mg per day, or 19 mg daily for women who are lactating. Kids need less with the exact recommendation changing depending on age.
Additionally, many supplements contain amounts of this nutrient higher than the RDA. The upper intake level for vitamin E is 1,000 mg per day, so individuals should not exceed this amount.
