E for longer colds. (Quick Studies).Older people who were given a vitamin E vitamin E or tocopherol Fat-soluble organic compound found principally in certain plant oils and leaves of green vegetables. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant in body tissues and may prolong life by slowing oxidative destruction of membranes. supplement (200 IU a day) had worse colds and other respiratory infections Noun 1. respiratory infection - any infection of the respiratory tract respiratory tract infection infection - the pathological state resulting from the invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms than older people who were given a placebo placebo (pləsē`bō), inert substance given instead of a potent drug. Placebo medications are sometimes prescribed when a drug is not really needed or when one would not be appropriate because they make patients feel well taken care of. , says a new study from the Netherlands. A daily multivitamin-mineral supplement (which contained only 10 IU of vitamin E) didn't help or hurt. The study randomly assigned 652 healthy, well-nourished people aged 60 or older to take one or both supplements or a placebo every day for roughly 15 months. When the vitamin-E-takers got a cold or the flu, it lasted an average of 19 days (versus 14 days for the placebo-takers), and they suffered from six symptoms (versus four for the placebo-takers). The E-takers were also more likely to have a fever and be unable to participate in their usual activities. What to do: Earlier research had suggested that vitamin E or a multi might boost immunity in older people (see cover story, March 2002), but this randomized ran·dom·ize tr.v. ran·dom·ized, ran·dom·iz·ing, ran·dom·iz·es To make random in arrangement, especially in order to control the variables in an experiment. trial trumps trump 1 n. 1. Games a. A suit in card games that outranks all other suits for the duration of a hand. Often used in the plural. b. A card of such a suit. c. A trump card. 2. that evidence. Until we know more, don't take a high-dose vitamin E supplement to prevent or curb colds. While a multi won't help with a cold either, it's still worth taking for other reasons. J. Amer. Med. Assoc. 288: 715, 2002. |
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