Vitamin E intake critical during the first 1000 days

Amid conflicting reports about the need for vitamin E and how much is enough, a new analysis published this week suggests that adequate levels of this essential micronutrient are especially critical for the very young, the elderly, and women who are or may become pregnant. "It's important all of your life, but the most compelling evidence about vitamin E is about a 1000-day window that begins at conception," says analysis lead author Maret Traber, a professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University, principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute and national expert on vitamin E. "Vitamin E is critical to neurologic and brain development that can only happen during that period. It's not something you can make up for later," she adds.