Vitamin E and the Immune Response

The main body of research on the role of vitamin E in immune function has focused on the effect of vitamin E supplementation either in vitro or in vivo on different aspects of humoral and cell-mediated immunity such as antibody production, lymphocyte proliferation, phagocytosis, and bacterial killing and resistance. Studies in different species of experimental animals using deficient as well as higher than recommended levels of vitamin E indicate that tocopherol is involved in the maintenance of the immune function. Studies of the effects of vitamin E on the immune response in humans are limited. An early report by Baehner et al. showed that in vivo supplementation with vitamin E could depress the bactericidal activity of leukocytes without affecting other blood chemistry and hematological parameters. The use of vitamin E supplements in high doses by healthy individuals, although deemed inappropriate by most nutrition professionals, is widely promoted and, along with vitamin C supplements, represents the most popular nutrient supplement.