An article published in Arthritis & Rheumatism (September 1991; 34(9):1205) discussed the anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin E. The article cited a clinical study in which vitamin E was used as the placebo control in a trial examining the anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Interestingly, patients receiving vitamin E alone also experienced reductions in pain and inflammation. In this group, C-reactive protein (CRP)—a blood marker of inflammation—was reduced by approximately one-third, suggesting that vitamin E itself may have contributed to anti-inflammatory effects.
Additional support comes from a small clinical study in which patients with osteoarthritis were given either 600 mg per day of vitamin E or a placebo. A significant proportion of patients receiving vitamin E reported improvement in symptoms compared with those receiving placebo.
Experimental research has produced similar findings. A study published in Experimental Physiology (December 2008; 93(12):1263–1272) examined the effects of vitamin E in a mouse model of inflammation. Mice were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from Escherichia coli to induce an inflammatory response. Three days prior to injection, the animals were divided into two groups, one receiving vitamin E and the other receiving a placebo.
After LPS exposure, inflammatory markers—including the cytokines interleukin-1β and interleukin-6—were significantly lower in the mice that received vitamin E, indicating a reduction in inflammatory signaling.
