Both versions are safe to take even in high doses, both researchers say. But it is nearly impossible to get the equivalent of one capsule by eating foods rich in vitamin E. One trade industry report says to get the equivalent of 400 IU from food would require you to drink two quarts of corn oil or eat 22 cups of peanuts. There is no consensus on who should be taking vitamin E supplements. Much of the vitamin E research has centered on protecting the heart and blood vessels. Vitamin E attaches itself directly to the LDL or bad cholesterol in the blood, keeping it from attaching to blood vessel walls, the process that leads to hardening of the arteries.
Some experts stop short of recommending it, however.
There's a little controversy about how much is the right dose. He recommends 800 IU to his heart patients, but agrees there is no consensus on dosage. As support for his recommendation, Jaffe points to the results of a scientifically controlled, 42-month studybninvolving patients who have heart disease. The 2,002 participants had undergone angiography, a test to look at the coronary arteries, and had been shown to have blockages in those arteries that could lead to a heart attack. Vitamin E reduced the risk of both fatal and nonfatal heart attacks by 47 percent, and nonfatal heart attacks by 77 percent.