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Vitamin E Shown to Fight Colds in the Elderly

Immunity and Nutrition in Older Individuals

Infections, particularly respiratory infections, are common in older individuals. Infections can interfere with daily activities, prolong recovery time from illnesses and result in more frequent complications. Contributing to that greater susceptibility to respiratory infections is the decline in immune response that occurs as we grow older. Good nutrition plays an important role in keeping the immune system functioning efficiently, especially getting adequate amounts of protein and a variety of nutrients such as zinc and vitamins B6, C, D and E.

While we've long known that various nutrients are needed for proper immune performance - and that deficiencies of them can lower disease resistance - researchers only began in the late '80's and '90's to ask whether supplemental amounts might improve immune function in the elderly. Results from the long-term placebo-controlled studies that were conducted showed that giving a complete multi-nutrient to healthy, even well nourished, older people could boost immune function, although it wasn't clear whether those improvements always translated into meaningful disease-fighting effects (1).

In 1997, Dr. Simin Meydani and her team of researchers from Tufts University reported in the Journal of the Medical Association (JAMA) that vitamin E could enhance immunity (2). In that study, older subjects taking vitamin E supplements in doses of 60, 200 and 800 IU said they experienced fewer respiratory infections - about a 30% reduction compared to placebo takers. Subjects taking the 200 IU vitamin E levels showed the greatest response in immune function.

Vitamin E Protects Against Colds in "Real Life" Situations

To test whether those findings would hold up, Meydani and her colleagues enrolled over 600 people who were at least 65 years old and living in nursing homes. Residents of long-term care facilities are more prone to infections than elderly who live independently. All of the study volunteers received a multi-nutrient supplement, while half of them took an additional 200 IU vitamin E and the other half a placebo for a one-year period. The results were reported in the August issue of JAMA (3).

After controlling for other factors that could influence immunity, the researchers found that the vitamin E group had significantly fewer colds, and less of them acquired 1 or more upper respiratory tract infections (mostly colds) during the study period. In contrast, vitamin E did not appear to significantly impact the overall incidence of different upper and lower respiratory tract infections combined (influenza, pneumonia, acute bronchitis, sinusitis and others). However, the number of episodes of these infections was low in both groups, and the authors also point out that the use of multi-nutrient supplements by all participants could have blunted the impact of vitamin E.

The protective effect of vitamin E against colds is noteworthy for a number of reasons. First, colds were the most common upper respiratory infection encountered in this study. Colds are also frequently seen in the elderly population as a whole, and often lead to increased disease in this age group. Finally, combating the common cold among nursing home patients is particularly important because the number of elderly residing in long-term care facilities has increased and is expected to grow steadily in the coming years.

References

1. Blumberg J and Heber D, eds. Multivitamins and Public Health: Exploring the Evidence. Oct. 1st, 2003 Washington DC New York, NY: BioScience Communications, 2004.
2. Meydani SN et al. Vitamin E supplementation in vivo immune response in healthy elderly subjects: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA 277:1380-6, 1997
3. Meydani SN et al. Vitamin E and respiratory tract infections in elderly nursing home residents. A randomized controlled trial. JAMA 292:828-836, 2004.