About Me

Matt Murray is co-owner and manager for GreenAcres Market in Wichita, Kansas. From 1996 until 2002 Matt was co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show, HealthTalk with Shannon and Matt. Current activities involve writing health-related articles for local magazines and newspapers, seminars and speaking engagements.

Active in lobbying for the natural products industry in Washington, D.C., Matt was president of Rocky Mountain Nutritional Foods Association and a member of the national board for NNfA from 2002 through 2006.

Consumer education, advertising and promotions are the key elements for store growth so he spends time on newsletter development and in-store activities.

Vitamin E is truly a Superstar Nutrient

October 09, 2006

Americans are quick on the hunt for the latest and greatest thing that can enhance their health or help fight aging. But in the eternal hunger for the new and exciting, donĚt forget about the tried and true such as in the case for vitamin E. Forget the media reports that question vitamin E and check out some recent information that has recently been published in Europe.

Vitamin E is essential for life and health, and most Americans do not get enough from diet alone, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition, Washington D.C. Supplements can correct this deficiency and can provide the higher levels of vitamin E needed to promote health and protect against disease. Just think about the evidence in support of vitamin E:

Depression: According to research, those with major clinical depression may have lower levels of vitamin E (alpha tocopherol). Several new studies are testing the ability of vitamin e to relieve symptoms of depression.

Brain Function: A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association of 815 participants aged 65 or older determined that after 3.9 years, those with the highest dietary intake of vitamin E had 70% less incidence of AlzheimerĚs disease than did those with the lowest intake.

Prostate Cancer: In a seven-year study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, evaluated 10,456 men and found that those with the highest blood levels of vitamin E (gamma tocopherol) were five times less likely to get prostate cancer than were those with the lowest levels.

Menstrual pain: In a two-month study published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 100 students aged 16 to 18 who had experienced menstrual pain were randomly assigned to receive either 500 IU of vitamin E per day or a placebo, for five days beginning two days before the start of menstruation. The vitamin E group reported significantly less menstrual pain than did the placebo group. The U.S. national Academy of Sciences has set an upper tolerable limit for vitamin E of 1500 IU per day.

Reference: European Journal of clinical Nutrition; 2005, Vol. 59, No. 2, 304-6.