Vitamin E Thwarts Colds in the Elderly
(HealthDayNews, 8/17/04)

Dr. Simin Nikbin Meydani of Tufts University, and team, studied 617 elderly residents from 33 nursing homes in the Boston area. The scientists randomly assigned all subjects to receive a low dose multivitamin plus either 200 IU of vitamin E or a placebo, daily for one-year. Of the three-quarters of the subjects who completed the study, fewer members of the vitamin E group experienced upper respiratory infections, notably colds, than those taking the placebo. The researchers say the next step would be to take a microbiological approach to determine whether Vitamin E affects bacteria differently than it does viruses and, if so, whether this explains why it prevents colds (which are viral), but not lower respiratory infections, which tend to be caused by bacteria.

(Journal of the American Medical Association, Aug. 18, 2004).