Vitamin E

Vitamin E is best known for its antioxidant effects, cellular health and immune function.  Vitamin E is found naturally in leafy green vegetables, avocados, nuts, seeds, eggs and fatty fish.  Other foods must be synthetically fortified with vitamin E.  You can take vitamin E orally or it can be absorbed through the skin using oils. Vitamin E is often used for skin healing and scar reduction.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps fight inflammation and oxidative damage.  Vitamin E benefits the heart, brain, reproduction function, immune and eye health.  You get Vitamin E from food such as nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens, avocados and fatty fish.  Typically, Vitamin E deficiency is rare.  Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin.  When you eat food that contains Vitamin E or take a supplement, any excess is stored in your fatty tissues.  Your liver regulates the amount of Vitamin E in your blood.  Eating a variety of foods is the best way toget adequate Vitamin E, including healthy fats in your diet to promote absorption.  If you are a healthy individual, taking a Vitamin E supplement puts you at risk of toxic overdose and therefore you should use caution.  In general Vitamin E supplementation is not recommended for healthy individuals.  Vitamin E is a group of eight fat-soluble vitamins; four are tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four are tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta).&Alpha-tocopherol is the form that supports the transport of nutrients in the blood. The other forms of Vitamin E is converted to Alpha-tocopherol when needed.

Vitamin E Benefits

Vitamin E for Heart

Vitamin E from food may prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol which lessens the risk of atherosclerosis.  This in turn support could prevent or delay the onset of cardiovascular disease.  Vitamin E may also prevent the formation of blood clots that could lead to stroke and heart attacks.

Vitamin E for Cancer

Vitamin E has antioxidant properties that prevent free radicals from damaging healthy cells.  Vitamin E from food may help prevent cancer.

Vitamin E for Eyes

Vitamin E from food supports eye health, particularly with an eye disease called age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Vitamin E for Brain

Vitamin E is associated with less cognitive decline and symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Vitamin E for Immune Function

Vitamin E protects cells from oxidative damage that can lead to inflammation and disease; hence improving immune function. Vitamin E helps prevent or delay onset of chronic diseases associated with free radicals.

Vitamin E for Skin

Vitamin E’s antioxidant properties can protect your skin by preventing free radicals from damaging healthy cells.  Dermatologists and the beauty industry have been recommending vitamin E for skin and hair and other ailments such as eczema and psoriasis when applied topically.

Vitamin E Deficiency

Vitamin E deficiency is not very common.  The primary reason for Vitamin E deficiency iswhen someone cannot absorb or digest fats, such as when Crohn’s disease and cystic fibrosis is present or someone is on an extremely low fat diet.  Symptoms of true VitaminE deficiency can include the following:

• Muscle weakness
• Impaired vision
• Numbness and tingling
• Immune system problems
• Coordination and walking difficulty

Vitamin E Risks

High dose alpha-tocopherol supplements can cause hemorrhage and interrupt blood coagulation.

Vitamin E Foods

It’s always best to get Vitamin E from foods when possible.  Supplementing should only be required if the diet is lacking Vitamin E rich foods, fat absorption is limited or on an extremely low fat diet.

• Fish (trout, swordfish, tuna, salmon)
• Shrimp
• Nuts and Seeds (sunflower, almonds, hazelnut, pine)
• Wheat germ oil, vegetable oil, salad dressings
• Avocado
• Sweet red bell peppers
• Fruit (Mango, Kiwi, Blueberries and other orange and red fruits)
• Leafy greens (Spinach, turnip greens)
• Broccoli
• Margarine
• Whole grains
• Sweet potatoes
• Asparagus

Vitamin E Dose

A Vitamin E supplement dose of 1,000 mg is considered the upper limit.  Getting Vitamin E from food is preferred or supplementation that could lead to toxic levels.  To determine more specific recommended daily intake doses based on your age and gender, go to vitamincalculator.net.
Note: Vitamin E listed as d-alpha-tocopherol is twice as potent as synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol.

Vitamin E Conversion

Depending on the age of the product you have (supplements or food packages) and theunits that Vitamin E is measured (either in IU (International Units) or mg (milligrams).  To convert from IU to mg you multiply the IU by .67 to get mg.

References