This is one of those studies where the most important finding is not directly stated, but implied. Namely, if healing the gut barrier, as the study says, may prevent/treat RA then the condition is most likely tied to the microbiome in our GI tract. More specifically, to the byproducts of the microbiome that can absorb into the bloodstream, and that applies mostly to our old friend endotoxin (LPS). Intact bacteria rarely absorb into the bloodstream from the GI tract, and if they do then one usually gets a potentially life-threatening sepsis instead of RA. So, the main finding of the study, at least to me, is that endotoxin drives RA and limiting endotoxin’s effects is both preventive and therapeutic for RA. One way to achieve this is by improving the gut barrier, which is what vitamin E is claimed to do. However, if the endotoxin assault on the colon wall is chronic (i.e. after every meal) then the wall/barrier easily get damaged again, and it becomes a tug-of-war between restoring/damaging said gut barrier. Reducing endotoxin production by consuming easily digestible foods, insoluble fiber, and substances with antibacterial effects (charcoal, saturated fats, etc) is probably a better approach as it would have a longer-term effect than taking vitamin E daily. There is nothing wrong with using the vitamin E, but any good prevention/treatment should look at the original cause of the disease and that cause in the case or RA is endotoxin. One additional (and direct) benefit of vitamin E may also be its anti-estrogenic effect. Estrogen is a known promoter of autoimmunity and in many cases can cause an auto-immune condition de-novo. To make matters worse, endotoxin promotes estrogen synthesis (by activating aromatase) while estrogen increases gut permeability, thus increasing endotoxin absorption into the blood. A perfect vicious cycle that vitamin E may be able to break.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-022-01148-9
https://www.yahoo.com/video/1-best-supplement-preventing-treating-153046602.html
“…Plus, there are dietary changes, such as reducing the consumption of foods that have been found to contribute to rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Now, new evidence suggests that vitamin E supplements could help prevent and treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In a study published in late April in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from the Xi’an Honghui Hospital in Shaanxi, China looked at information from a range of sources on how supplementation with the vitamin affected outcomes related to the disease. They found, in a meta-analysis (statistical analysis across multiple studies) of nine sources, encompassing nearly 40,000 participants altogether, that vitamin E supplements had a positive effect on those with RA for sensitive joints and swollen joints. Vitamin E’s ability to restore the intestinal barrier and improve the gastrointestinal tract may be linked to the prevention and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,” the study authors write. “Vitamin E supplements used on a regular basis can help individuals with RA reduce joint discomfort, edema [swelling from excess fluid], and stiffness, as well as enhance their overall quality of life.””
