Vitamin supplements containing even modest amounts of vitamin E are protective against ischemic stroke, researchers reported Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.
Ischemic stroke is caused by a clot or arterial disease blocking blood flow to the brain.
The researchers determined each person's vitamin E intake from diet alone, or from diet plus vitamin supplements. Controls who had not had a stroke were also twice as likely to take a vitamin supplement compared to stroke patients. According to US government guidelines, people need 15 IU of dietary vitamin E a day as a minimum requirement. However, as researcher Dr. Richard Benson pointed out, very few people in their study achieved even that level of vitamin E from dietary sources alone. In comparison, vitamin supplements typically contain 30 to 50 IU vitamin E, he noted.