Syed Muhammad Shamim.
Vitamin E: Therapeutic uses.
Ann Abbasi Shaheed Hosp Karachi Med Dent Coll Jan ;6:241-3.

Alphatochopherol has vitamin E activity, wheat green oil is the richest source, it is also present in cereals, nuts, spinach and egg yolk. It was de clared that female rats required an unrecognized substance essential to sustance normal pregnancy. Some times during pregnancy death of the foetuses occurred in animals who were deficient of that substance later on vitamin E was referred to as antisterility vitamin. Vitamin E acts as antioxidant protecting unsaturated lipids in cell membrane. In animals vitamin E deficiency shows structural and functional abnormalities of many organs. Morphological alterations reveal biochemical defects involving fatty acid metabolism. Though it is called the antisterility factor but it does not have any value in treatment of sterility and habitual abortions in humans. There is interest of vitamin E in neurological diseases in humans. Vitamin E is essential nutrient necessary for the optimal development and maintenance of integrity and function of human nervous system and skeletal muscles. Clinical vitamin E deficiency has been implicated only in certain neuromuscular diseases in children. Vitamin E has been found to enhance the absorption of Vitamin A, found useful in intermittent claudication, fibrocystic breast disease and nocturnal muscle cramps, vitamin E has been promoted in menopausal syndrome, toxemia of pregnancy, ischaemic heart disease, several skin diseases, post herpetic neuralgia and scleroderma. It has also been found useful in retinopathy Higher levels of Vitamin E have lower risk of breast cancer. It is useful in athero sclerosis, cerebrovascular disorders, anaemia of premature infants, retrolental fibroplasias, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and intraventricular haemorrhages It inhibits aggregation of blood platelets. Vitamin E needs further and more trials to achieve its benefits. This is a review article.

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