Dementia (impaired cognitive function)

Dementia (impaired cognitive function)

The brain is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress, which is thought to play a role in the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. In a large placebo-controlled intervention trial, supplementation of individuals who had moderate neurological impairment with 2,000 IU of synthetic alpha-tocopherol daily for two years (equivalent to 900 mg/day of RRR-alpha-tocopherol) resulted in a significant slowing of the progression of Alzheimer's dementia.

After Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia (dementia resulting from strokes) is the most common cause of dementia in the U.S. A case-control study examining risk factors for vascular dementia in elderly Japanese-American men found that supplemental vitamin E and vitamin C intake was associated with a significantly decreased risk of vascular and other types of dementia, but not Alzheimer's dementia.

Among those without dementia, vitamin E supplement use was associated with better scores on cognitive tests. Although these findings are promising, further studies are required to determine the role of alpha-tocopherol supplementation in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.