EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

§ A recent study published in JAMA has raised concern regarding long-term vitamin E supplementation. § A closer look at this study within the context of other vitamin E research suggests that careful interpretation is warranted. § Several opinion leaders in the health industry have not deemed vitamin E supplementation unsafe as a result of this study. § A specific, high-risk population was selected for this study; therefore, these results do not negate the numerous positive benefits vitamin E supplementation may have for healthy individuals. § Diet and exercise information were not provided in this study, leading to potential misinterpretation of the findings. The one-system, one-drug approach to medicine lacks the complexity of integration of all body systems that Functional Medicine aims to address. § The human body works best with an antioxidant mixture, similar to that found in nature, versus high amounts of isolated compounds. § Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) is just one member of a family of potential bioactive compounds; other tocopherol compounds, especially gamma tocopherol, have been shown to have beneficial biological activity different from alpha tocopherol, and warrant further scientific investigation