Why is Vitamin E Important for Infants and Children?
ASN Webinar
Organized by ASN’s Vitamin and Mineral Research Interest Section
Thursday, June 16, 2016
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm (ET)
Amid conflicting reports about the need for vitamin E, recent merging research supports a critical role for this essential nutrient, especially during vulnerable periods of the lifecycle, including pregnancy, the first few years of life, and the elderly. Herein, accumulating research demonstrates a role of vitamin E in neurodevelopment and cognition, as well as the development of allergic airway disease including asthma. These are new findings for vitamin E that extend beyond its mechanistic role as an antioxidant with heart health benefits.
More specifically, research from academic institutions demonstrates a role for vitamin E in fetal development and its association with later life dementia, as well as Alzheimer’s disease. There is also evidence for a role of different isoforms of vitamin E in the development of allergic airway disease during the prenatal and postnatal periods. Although the prevalence of dementia, Alzheimer’s and allergic airway disease continues to rise at a global level, there are no pharmacological approaches for the management or treatment of these diseases. This emerging research on vitamin E begs the question whether increased dietary or supplemental vitamin E has a role in the prevention of these diseases, particularly important considering that as many as 60% of Americans are not achieving the EAR for vitamin E.
This webinar aims to create awareness and inspire additional research on the role of vitamin E in neurodevelopment, cognition and allergic airway disease, especially during critical periods of the lifecycle.
By the end of this program, attendees will be able to:
- Describe the role of vitamin E and its different isoforms throughout the lifecycle, particularly as it pertains to neurodevelopment, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease as well as allergic airway disease.
- State the limitations of measuring vitamin E adequacy through measurement of blood levels alone.
- Identify potential gaps and opportunities to advance the science, guide public policy and educate consumers on the importance of adequate vitamin E intakes during the lifecycle.
Moderators
Deshanie Rai, FACN, PhD, Bayer Healthcare
Lisa Tussing-Humphreys, PhD, RD, University of Illinois at Chicago
Speakers
Functional Relevance of Vitamin E during the First 1000 days and Associations with Later Life Outcomes
Maret G. Traber, PhD, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University
Vitamin E Isoforms Differentially Regulate Allergic Airway Disease: An Update on the Emerging Research
Joan Cook-Mills, PhD, Northwestern University Feinberg School of, Medicine, Allergy-Immunology Division