Letters.Understanding IUs In your article describing the efficacy of 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. supplements (SN: 3/1/97, p. 135), the dosages are given in milligrams. The vitamin E supplements sold over the counter are measured in IUs. I've asked my pharmacist and my doctor and I've consulted scientific reference books, but I cannot find a definition of IUs or the conversion factor needed to equate them to milligrams. Would you please enlighten en·light·en tr.v. en·light·ened, en·light·en·ing, en·light·ens 1. To give spiritual or intellectual insight to: your readers? Vincent Sawka Fredonia, N. Y. Vitamin E is a mix of related tocopherol tocopherol: see vitamin. molecules. There is no automatic rule for converting milligrams of vitamin E to international units international units, n.pl a unit of measurement that evaluates the potency of a substance. Because it measures potency instead of quantity, there is a different international unit-to-mg conversion ratio for each particular substance. (IUs), because any conversion will require you to know the particular proportion of different tocopherols present in the vitamin E studied. In the Scottish study, 1 milligram milligram /mil·li·gram/ (mg) (mil´i-gram) one thousandth (10-3) of a gram. mil·li·gram n. Abbr. mg A metric unit of mass equal to one thousandth (10-3) of a gram. of vitamin E equals about 1.4 IU, so 280 mg translated to about 400 IU. -- J. Raloff Catastrophic [CO.sub.2] Could the phenomena discussed in "Life's Closest Call" (SN: 2/1/97, p. 74) relate to the fatal emissions from an African lake a few years ago? Mark Pottenger Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , Calif. No, they are not the same. Lakes Nyos and Monoun in Cameroon (SN: 4/2/94, p. 215) overturned suddenly and released a cloud of carbon dioxide carbon dioxide, chemical compound, CO2, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is about one and one-half times as dense as air under ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure. into the air, killing cattle and people. The Permian scenario would have happened slowly, by human standards, and would have been toxic for marine creatures. -- R. Monastersky Is carbon dioxide really a toxic gas? Either chemistry and biology have changed a lot since I attended school, or the definition of the word "toxic" has changed. Eric W. Gardell Wappingers Falls, N.Y. At high concentrations, carbon dioxide is toxic. -- R. Monastersky Cheap pills Robertson states that fish oil and garlic supplements can be as costly as prescription drugs ("Fish oil gets a garlic chaser for the heart," SN: 2/15/97, p. 101). I buy retail 500-milligram capsules of garlic oil at $1.49 per 100 (more than 1 month's supply at three capsules per day). I buy Omega-3 fish oil capsules at $9.60 per 100 (1 month's supply). That is a total of $11.09. Tell me where you can get any prescription drug for that price. Ralph S. Blois Woodburn, Ore. 
Hello!<br>I just like to ask is there a published article with regards to Vitamin K conversion from IU to gram/mg?<br>Because I know that Vitamin A,D and E can be converted to mg from IU and the other way around but no idea for Vitamin K.<br>I am an animal nutritionist practicing premix formulation (vitamin-minerals).<br>Please comment or give feedback if you have any idea about this matter.<br>Thanks!<br><br>Clarisa |
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