Vitamin E deficiency in South Asian population and the therapeutic use of alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E) for correction of anemia.

Mild to moderate vitamin E deficiency because of inadequate consumption of vitamin E-rich foods and intestinal fat malabsorption is common in growing children, women of reproductive age and elderly South Asian population. Severe vitamin E deficiency may lead to peripheral and motor neurodegenerative diseases (e.g ataxia and motor skeletal myopathy), impaired immune response and free radical-induced hemolytic anemias.

Positive Association of Vitamin E Supplementation with Hemoglobin Levels in Mildly Anemic Healthy Pakistani Adults.

Background: Hemoglobin levels slightly below the lower limit of normal are common in adults in the general population in developing countries. A few human studies have suggested the use of antioxidant vitamins in the correction of mild anemia. The objective of the present study was to investigate the association of vitamin E supplementation in mildly anemic healthy adults with post-supplemental blood hemoglobin levels in the general population of Karachi, Pakistan.

Does vitamin E have a role in treatment and prevention of anemia?

Vitamin E is a highly effective fat-soluble vitamin with a variety of cellular membrane stabilizing-antioxidant and non-antioxidant functions. Vitamin E has been suggested to prevent the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in red blood cell (RBC) membrane, thus inhibiting the premature erythrocytelysis. Animal studies have shown that treatment with vitamin E results in increased number of colony forming units of erythroid precursors, enhanced erythropoiesis and improved blood hemoglobin levels in these animals.