Vitamin E and other antioxidants improve cholesterol balance and circulation

Traditional Christmas foods such as eggs, butter, and other fatty animal products contain cholesterol and are often criticized for the same reason. The fact is, however, that the body produces most of its own cholesterol as needed, since this vital substance is part of all cell membranes and is required for the synthesis of sex hormones, stress hormones, vitamin D, vitamin K2, and Q10. It is therefore important to realize that cholesterol only becomes dangerous to the cardiovascular system when it oxidizes and is damaged by free radicals and oxidative stress. Meanwhile, evidence suggests that vitamin E may improve cholesterol balance, circulation, and the gut microbiome. According to a recent study published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, these are areas that are closely connected. When it comes to maintaining the cardiovascular system and other tissues, it is essential to obtain sufficient antioxidants such as vitamins E, C, and A, as well as selenium, zinc, and other sources - not just during the Christmas season but all year round.

Free radicals are involved in a number of metabolic processes, and their levels increase as a result of ageing, toxins, smoking, stress, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases characterized by chronic inflammation. If free radicals exceed the body’s antioxidant capacity, oxidative stress occurs, causing the free radicals to spiral out of control and attack cholesterol, cells, and tissues through chain reactions. This sets the stage for cardiovascular disease and many other conditions.
As the number of elderly people with age-related diseases grows, there has also been increased focus on vitamin E and other antioxidants. An earlier meta-analysis of 27 studies has shown that vitamin E generally helps prevent diseases caused by oxidative stress - including cardiovascular disease, several cancers, Parkinson’s disease, and age-related cataracts. In the introduction to the new study, the authors also mention grape seed extract as another powerful antioxidant capable of improving cholesterol balance in people with metabolic syndrome. However, the effects of these supplements on the ageing process have been less well understood.
There is also increasing evidence that the gut microbiome plays a role in overall health, but it has been unclear whether vitamin E supplementation can influence the gut flora - something the researchers set out to investigate in the new study.
The trial included 50 healthy adults who were divided into three groups: one received vitamin E supplements, another received grape seed extract, and the third served as a placebo control group. The study revealed the following:

• The people in the vitamin E group improved their cholesterol balance through a reduction in LDL cholesterol. This is particularly relevant in metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, where the liver essentially turns into a “fat factory” and produces too much LDL cholesterol and too little HDL cholesterol.
• The vitamin E group developed a greater abundance of beneficial gut bacteria, including Lachnospira sp. and Faecalibacterium spp., which are involved in the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and other important metabolites.

The researchers therefore conclude that vitamin E supplementation can reduce LDL cholesterol, an effect that occurs indirectly by influencing the development of beneficial gut bacteria. It is also worth noting that vitamin E, as a powerful antioxidant, helps protect LDL cholesterol from oxidative stress.

Why is oxidative stress so dangerous for cholesterol and the cardiovascular system?

Cholesterol is a vital substance required for the formation of cell membranes, sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone), stress hormones (cortisol), vitamin D, vitamin K2, Q10, and the selenium-containing antioxidant GPX. The brain and the insulating myelin sheath around nerve cells also contain significant amounts of cholesterol.
Cholesterol is present in fatty animal products, and in humans the liver produces most of it according to the body’s needs. In the bloodstream, cholesterol is transported to cells as LDL cholesterol and returns as HDL cholesterol. Under conditions of oxidative stress, LDL cholesterol is attacked by free radicals. This causes LDL cholesterol to oxidize or “go rancid,” making it unusable for its many functions. The damaged, oxidized LDL cholesterol is then engulfed by white blood cells (monocytes), which transform into foam cells. These foam cells migrate into the arterial wall, where they die and leave behind oxidized cholesterol. Atherosclerosis is also characterized by chronic inflammation, and in the later stages, a fibrin layer and a calcium mesh form around the embedded foam cells in the arterial wall. Thus, cholesterol makes up only a small percentage of calcified arterial plaques.
As shown, it is oxidative stress and chronic inflammation that create the foundation for atherosclerosis - regardless of whether cholesterol levels are high or low.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and other common conditions are associated with disrupted cholesterol balance, mainly due to impaired glucose metabolism and elevated insulin levels, which turn the liver into a kind of fat factory. The real reason these conditions pose a threat to the cardiovascular system is oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, which damage vital LDL cholesterol.

• Vitamin E (tocopherol) is a fat-soluble vitamin
• Good sources include extra-virgin olive oil, avocados, nuts, kernels, seeds, green vegetables such as broccoli, as well as cod liver oil, cod roe, eggs, and full-fat dairy products.
• Vitamin E supplements should be in the natural form (d-alpha-tocopherol), which the body absorbs and utilizes more efficiently.

More information about cholesterol and prevention of cardiovascular disease

Since ancient times, humans have consumed significant amounts of cholesterol from animal foods such as meat, eggs, shellfish, cream, and butter. These sources also contain other nutrients that help stabilize blood sugar and support general health.
As mentioned, there is no reason to fear cholesterol itself. In preventing cardiovascular disease, the focus should instead be on stabilizing blood sugar levels and obtaining sufficient quantities of antioxidants such as vitamins E, C, and A, as well as selenium, zinc, Q10, and others. It is also important to get enough vitamin D, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids, which help counteract chronic inflammation.
In the following article, you can read more about how it is not cholesterol itself that leads to cardiovascular disease, but oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.

»It is inflammation and not cholesterol that causes cardiovascular disease«

Reference:

Bangwei Chen et al. Vitamin E ameliorates blood cholesterol level and alters gut microbiota composition. A Randomized controlled trial. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. 2025