ITHACA, New York, May 22, 2000. Cornell University's Medical College has published a special report on "The Science of Eating Right: Vitamins, Minerals, and Dietary Supplements" which says that of all vitamins, Vitamin E "boasts the longest and most diverse list of potential benefits." The report, published in book form by the editors of Women's Health Advisor, a publication of Cornell's Weill Medical College Center for Women's Healthcare, focuses on seven medical conditions it says can receive benefit from Vitamin E. They are:

• Heart Disease - "The most well-documented benefit of Vitamin E is cardiovascular protection."
• Diabetes - "People with diabetes are more prone to developing heart disease and other vascular (blood-vessel related) problems prematurely, and Vitamin E appears to have special benefits for them."
• Asthma - "As an antioxidant, Vitamin E could theoretically reduce asthma risk by minimizing free-radical-induced inflammation in the respiratory tract."
• Alzheimer's Disease - Studies have found that "Vitamin E helped slow the progress of Alzheimer's disease ..." Based on the same theory that Vitamin E can benefit the nervous system, researchers have also found a link between a high intake of Vitamin E and a lower incidence of Parkinson's disease.
• Low Immunity - A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that "elderly subjects who took Vitamin E supplements for four months boosted their immune systems by more than 60 percent, with no harmful side effects." A daily dose of 200 international units "appeared to be the most effective."
• Cancer - Studies have "linked low blood levels of Vitamin E with early-stage cervical cancer, and other studies have found low blood levels of antioxidants in cancer patients."
• Menopause - "Vitamin E supplementation is the most common alternative or adjunct therapy to hormone replacement therapy. At doses of 400 international units twice daily, Vitamin E is thought to relieve hot flashes and vaginal dryness."