Is taking vitamins (vitamin E, vitamin B12) beneficial?
Vitamins are essential components of the diet that are important for maintaining bodily functions. Therefore, it is important to maintain a balanced diet that includes the necessary vitamins from all vitamin groups.
For certain vitamins, it was hypothesized that taking high doses—exceeding the regular daily requirement—could slow the progression of ALS. In particular, vitamin E was thought to have a disease-slowing (and thus therapeutic) effect. Based on the vitamin E hypothesis of a potential disease-slowing effect, two clinical trials were conducted in which high-dose vitamin E treatment was compared with a placebo. In both studies, no difference was found between vitamin E and a placebo in terms of survival or slowing the progression of symptoms.
There are also speculations and hopes that other vitamins (particularlyB12) may be able to slow the progression of ALS. To date, there is no medical or scientific basis for this hypothesis, as no relevant clinical trials have been conducted, and the data available from patient registries do not provide sufficient evidence of a positive effect on the disease. Overall, regular vitamin intake as part of an optimal diet is recommended. High-dose vitamin supplementation is not advised due to a lack of evidence of its effectiveness.