“E”asy Way to Reduce Bone Fracture Risk

An effective antioxidant, Vitamin E  is thought to exert  positive effects on both bone and muscle mass.  Karl Michaelsson, from Uppsala University (Sweden), and colleagues studied data collected on 14,738 women, followed for 19 years, and found that those subjects with the lowest consumption of alpha-tocopherol were at an 86% increased risk of hip fracture; and those who consumed a dietary supplement containing alpha-tocopherol were at 22% reduced risk of hip fracture.  Among 1,138 men studied, low levels of alpha-tocopherol more than tripled the rate of hip fracture.  The study authors write that: “Low intakes and low serum concentrations of [alpha]-tocopherol are associated with an increased rate of fracture in elderly women and men.”