Milk Boosts Bioavailability Of Vitamin E In Obese People

A new U.S. study finds an association between vitamin E absorption and metabolic syndrome, the cluster of symptoms like obesity and high blood pressure that are a precursor of type 2 diabetes. The researchers at Ohio State University discovered that people with metabolic syndrome – 35 percent of Americans – do not absorb vitamin E. But that problem can be solved by adding cow’s milk to the diet. Study participants who drank milk along with the natural form of vitamin E – found in spinach, sunflower seeds, peanuts, etc. – absorbed between 26.1 and 29.5 percent of the vitamin. Participants with metabolic syndrome absorbed less vitamin E than healthy people. The bioavailability of vitamin E when taken with a glass of milk was nearly three times higher than expected.