23rd August, 2001
As part of an ongoing study into the health benefits of taking vitamin E nutritionists at the University of Surrey are currently seeking people who have been smoking more than 10 cigarettes a day for at least five years to take part in research. The volunteers must be between the ages of 25 and 60 years old, must not be taking vitamin/mineral supplements or have taken them during the previous three months, must be free of medication, and have no significant medical history.
Vitamin E is found naturally in vegetable oils and fats, nuts, dark green leafy vegetables and cereals and previous research has shown that it is beneficial in the prevention and treatment of heart disease because it is a highly effective antioxidant, i.e. it mops up the unstable products of normal aerobic metabolism that can cause damage to the body's cell membranes.
The researchers now want to look at the effects of smoking on vitamin E levels in the blood, as well as the breakdown products of vitamin E in the urine. It would involve two blood samples and two 24 hour urine collections (one month apart) as well as writing a food diary for a week from which a dietary analysis will be given. Every effort will be made to try and fit the tests in before work at a convenient time for the volunteers.
Please come along
and help out with this research if you can. For more information or if you wish
to participate contact Wendy Hall or Yvonne Jeanes on tel. (01483) 879058 or
(01483) 879716, e-mail w.hall@surrey.ac.uk,
or write to her at the School of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of
Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH.
Media Enquiries: Katie Perry
in the University's press office, tel. 01275 842892.
Email: temp67@surrey.ac.uk