Effects of Vitamin E on Cognitive Performance during Ageing and in Alzheimer’s Disease

Nutrients

Giorgio La Fata¹  Peter Weber² 

[1] DSM Nutritional Products Ltd., R & D Human Nutrition and Health, P.O. Box 2676, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland;

关键词: α-tocopherol;    antioxidant;    oxidative stress;    brain ageing;    AD;   

DOI  :  10.3390/nu6125453

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that primarily protects cells from damage associated with oxidative stress caused by free radicals. The brain is highly susceptible to oxidative stress, which increases during ageing and is considered a major contributor to neurodegeneration. High plasma vitamin E levels were repeatedly associated with better cognitive performance. Due to its antioxidant properties, the ability of vitamin E to prevent or delay cognitive decline has been tested in clinical trials in both ageing population and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. The difficulty in performing precise and uniform human studies is mostly responsible for the inconsistent outcomes reported in the literature. Therefore, the benefit of vitamin E as a treatment for neurodegenerative disorders is still under debate. In this review, we focus on those studies that mostly have contributed to clarifying the exclusive function of vitamin E in relation to brain ageing and AD.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.