Experts have claimed that previous studies on vitamin E, which suggested that it fails to prevent heart attacks, were flawed and that the vitamin may yet prove to confer benefits.
Earlier studies had concluded that the antioxidant compound provides little or no benefit, despite the fact that epidemiological data have suggested otherwise.
However, investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre have now pointed out a fundamental flaw in the previous studies, which used doses that were too low to have a significant antioxidant effect.
Dr Jason Morrow, professor of medicine and pharmacology, said: "All of these studies were designed in a way that they never assessed the ability of the dose of vitamin E tested to effectively reduce oxidant stress."
The expert added that large doses in excess of those used in all of the previous clinical studies would have been necessary to draw accurate conclusions.
However, he added that while high doses are necessary in the design of clinical trials, "we are not touting taking vitamin E in large doses".
Experts have claimed that previous studies on vitamin E, which suggested that it fails to prevent heart attacks, were flawed and that the vitamin may yet prove to confer benefits.
