title: Changes in vitamin E status during obesity treatment.
abstract: The effects of vitamin E on platelet function and erythrocyte membrane rigidity are extensively described. Little is known, however, about the vitamin E status in an obese population and about the effect of weight loss on it. This study evaluates the changes in vitamin E status during obesity treatment in 8 morbidly obese females. They received a protein-sparing modified fast (PSMF) diet for a period of 5 weeks; mean vitamin E supplementation did not exceed the recommended daily allowance (8 mg of alpha-tocopherol equivalents). During the investigated period plasma vitamin E levels increased (p less than 0.02), while there was a slight decrease in plasma cholesterol. The rise in total tocopherol/total cholesterol ratio was highly significant (p less than 0.002). Both the experimental design and the results are comparable with previously reported data in hypothalamic obese mice. It is, therefore, suggested that the hypothalamic obese mouse is a convenient animal model for the study of vitamin E nutritional status in obesity.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000097:blood* / Q000178:diet therapy; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D002784:Cholesterol