Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and an antioxidant that helps to prevent the body from free radicals, repair damage skin, thicken hair and helps with the overall maintenance of health. This vitamin is known as a helping aid against heart diseases and high cholesterol, but a study in Germany shows that it could help to prevent gallstones.
The Canadian Liver foundation defines gallstones as solid lumps of cholesterol crystals or pigment material that form in the gallbladder. These cholesterol crystals are formed when fatty components in our food cannot be dissolved in the body’s bile. This occurs in up to 20% of Canadian women, and 10% of Canadian men by the age of 60.
Between 2005 and 2007, the PopGen bio-bank in Kiel Germany recruited 1316 individuals from Northern Germany to test the effects of vitamin E on the gallbladder. 952 of these individuals agreed to a physical examination and screening, which entailed recording each participant’s BMI, blood pressure levels, dietary intake, smoking status, total energy intake, alcohol consumption and physical activity within the past 12 months. From this group, 846 participants were randomly selected for an ultrasound examination. This was done to get a 3D visualization of their gallbladder and to look for any indicators of gallstones. If any were found, further testing was done to rule out if the ultrasound imagery was showing gallstones or gallbladder polyps.
Blood samples were also taken from each participant to determine how much vitamin E was in each participant’s blood. It was found that 582 of these participants had circulating levels of vitamin E in their blood, but 46 of the 582 participants had gallstones, and only 44 participants took vitamin E supplements. It was also found that participants who had gallstones had lower levels of vitamin E compared to those who took vitamin E supplements.
Based on these results, researchers believe that vitamin E could help protect the gallbladder from free radicals, which in return could reduce the chances of gallstones forming. It is believed that gallstones can be formed by a disturbance in the bile’s secretion caused by a fat-soluble vitamin deficiency, however, researchers also believe that it can have the opposite effect – accounting for the theory that individuals who had lower levels of vitamin E may be a result of higher oxidative stress. They have concluded that further testing need to be done to figure out the extent of vitamin E supplementation will have on the gallbladder.
Nutralab team of scientists and formulation experts create Vitamin E supplements to highest quality, ensuring every vitamin supplement is formulated to the most updated FDA and Health Canada requirements. Vitamin E can be formulated in different dosage forms such as a chewable, liquid, powder, or tablet in our cGM facility, but it is commonly formulated as a liquid and soft gel due to its’ liquid form. This facility is carefully designed to provide a one-stop solution to client’s pharmaceutical needs, giving clients access to manufacturing, packaging, warehousing facilities, and a state-of-the-art analytical lab capable of microbiology testing, chemical analysis, and much more. The focus is quality, from start to finish.
