VITAMIN E or the Unspoken Vitamin
What if I told you there was a vitamin that plays the role of antioxidant, preventing free radical damage to specific fats in the body that are critical for your health and naturally slowing aging? I’m talking about vitamin E, and believe it or not, vitamin E benefits don’t end there.
What Is
Vitamin E?
Vitamin E is a powerful, fat-soluble antioxidant that helps protect cell membranes against damage caused by free radicals and prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol(bad).
The term vitamin E encompasses a group of eight compounds, called tocopherols and tocotrienols, with various subsets of each, that comprise the vitamin complex as it is found in nature.
Vitamin E is absorbed from intestine through lymph with the help of bile; it circulates in plasma in association with β-lipoprotein, is stored in tissues and excreted slowly in bile and urine as metabolites.
Why Is Vitamin E Necessary?
What are the top vitamin E benefits? Supplementing and consuming vitamin E-rich foods has been found to be associated with some of the following health benefits:
-Vitamin E is necessary for structural and functional maintenance of skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle.
-It also assists in the formation of red blood cells and helps to maintain stores of vitamins A and K, iron, and selenium.
-It may have a positive effect on immune health, protect against the oxidative damage that can lead to heart disease, have preventive effects against cancer, help relieve symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, and may help prevent some diabetes-related damage, particularly to the eyes.
1. Balances Cholesterol
When cholesterol oxidizes, it becomes dangerous. Studies have shown that certain isomers of vitamin E serve as a protective antioxidant that fights cholesterol oxidation. This is because they can fight free radical damage in the body, which leads to cholesterol oxidation.
2. Fights Free Radicals and Prevents Disease Development
Free radicals fight and break down the healthy cells in your body, and this can lead to heart disease and cancer.Certain isomers of vitamin E have powerful antioxidant abilities that have the power to reduce free radical damage, fight inflammation, and therefore help naturally slow aging in your cells and fight off health issues like heart disease.
3. Repairs Damaged Skin
Vitamin E benefits skin by strengthening the capillary walls and improving moisture and elasticity, acting as a natural anti-aging nutrient within your body. Studies have shown that vitamin E reduces inflammation both within your body and on your skin, helping maintain healthy, youthful skin. These antioxidant properties are also helpful when you’re exposed to cigarette smoke or ultraviolet rays from sunlight, protecting against skin cancer.
Taking vitamin E with vitamin C fights skin inflammation after exposure to UV radiation and can also be useful in decreasing signs of acne and eczema. Vitamin E also helps the healing process in the skin. It’s absorbed by the epidermis layer of the skin and can be used to treat sunburn, which is one of the leading causes of skin cancer, among other factors. Because it speeds up cell regeneration, it can be used to treat scars, acne and wrinkles; this makes your skin look healthier and younger.
4. Thickens Hair
Because vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, it helps decrease environmental damage to your hair. It can also promote circulation to the scalp. Vitamin E oil can retain the natural moisture in your skin, which helps your scalp from becoming dry and flakey. This oil also makes your hair look healthier and fresher. You can apply a few drops of vitamin E oil on your hair, especially if it looks dry and dull.
5. Balances Hormones
Vitamin E can play a crucial role in balancing your endocrine and nervous systems, naturally working to balance hormones naturally.
6. Helps PMS Symptoms
Taking a vitamin E supplement two to three days before and two to three days after a menstrual period can reduce the cramping, anxiety and cravings and other PMS symptoms. Vitamin E can decrease pain severity and duration, and it can reduce menstrual blood loss. It does this by balancing your hormones naturally, and it helps keep your menstrual cycle regulated.
7.Important During Pregnancy for Growth and Development
Vitamin E is critical during pregnancy and for proper development in infants and children because it protects critical fatty acids and helps control inflammation.
WASN'T THAT ALOT TO REGISTER? Well,Vitamins being that tiny accounts for soo much in our bodies... :)
How Do You Get Enough Vitamin E From Food?
Good vitamin E food sources include vegetable oils, avocados, spinach, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, nuts, and whole grains. It’s also available as a supplement.
What Are The Symptoms Associated With A Vitamin E Deficiency?
Symptoms of a vitamin E deficiency include:
-Greasy stools,
-Chronic diarrhea,
-An inability to secrete bile.
Traditionally upheld is the belief that vitamin E deficiency is rare in humans. People who cannot absorb dietary fat or who have rare disorders of fat metabolism cannot absorb vitamin E. In addition, premature or very low birth weight infants (less than 3.5 lbs) and individuals with rare genetic abnormalities in the alpha-tocopherol transfer protein may also be at risk for a vitamin E deficiency.
However, a 2015 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that vitamin E deficiency might be more common than we thought. Those with metabolic syndrome, approximately one of three people in the United States, could be chronically deficient in vitamin E. Its findings suggest that while vitamin E appears to be readily available in the bloodstream of those with metabolic syndrome, it’s not finding its way to the tissues where it’s needed, resulting in a hidden deficiency.
More research needs to be done, but these preliminary findings underscore the importance of this essential vitamin.
How Much Vitamin E Does An Adult Need?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for:
-Adults older than 14-years is 15 mg (or 22.4 IU);
-Pregnant women of any age should get 15 mg (or 22.4 IU);
-Breastfeeding women of any age should take 19 mg (or 28.4 IU). I recommend supplementing with vitamin E that provides a minimum daily dose of 80 mg of the whole complex, including the four mixed tocopherols as well as the four mixed tocotrienols. It should provide at least 10 mg of tocotrienols. If you can’t find that, look for a product with mixed natural tocopherols (up to 400 IU daily).
Avoid dl-alpha-tocopherol, the synthetic form.
How Much Vitamin E Does A Child Need?
The NIH’s RDA and Adequate Intake (AI):
Infants 0-6 months, 4 mg/day (6 IU/day)
Infants 7-12 months 5 mg/day (7.5 IU/day)
children 1-3 years, 6 mg/day (9 IU/day)
children 4-8 years, 7 mg/day (10.4 IU/day)
children 9-13 years, 11 mg/day (16.4 IU/day)
How Do You Get Enough Vitamin E From Food?
Good vitamin E food sources include vegetable oils, avocados, spinach, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, nuts, and whole grains.
Keep in mind that because vitamin E is fat-soluble, supplements work best when they’re absorbed with food, and the American Heart Association recommends obtaining antioxidants, including vitamin E, by eating a healthy and well-balanced diet that’s high in fruits, veggies and whole grains. Getting your vitamins from the food you eat is always a better alternative than using a supplement because it’s difficult to over-consume vitamin E when getting it from your regular diet.
Risks Associated With Too Much Vitamin E
Except for an anticoagulant effect, vitamin E has no known toxicity or side effects. There was a meta-analysis conducted by John Hopkins in 2004 that raised some concern about higher daily intakes, but this was most likely associated with pre-existing health conditions. Vitamin E in very high doses may interfere with the body’s ability to clot blood, posing a risk to people already taking prescribed blood thinners.
Find more information on vitamin E and prostate health.
Other Special Considerations For Vitamin E
Because vitamin E is fat-soluble, it’s best absorbed when taken with a meal containing some fat.
Vitamin E loses its potency when exposed to air, heat, and light, so supplements should be stored in a dark, cool place.
People who are taking anticoagulants (blood thinners or aspirin) should take vitamin E supplements only under physician supervision.
If you are taking statins, do not exceed 400 IU of vitamin E because it can dramatically reduce the benefits of some cholesterol drugs.
Adverse effects may also occur when taking vitamin E and chemotherapy drugs, or mineral oil.
Vitamin E absorption may be altered when taking the pharmaceuticals Cholestyramine, Colestipol, or Orlistat.
Levels of vitamin E may be affected by seizure medications, zinc, and fish oils.
High doses of vitamin E may increase the body’s vitamin K requirement, and increased intake of omega-6 fatty acids may increase vitamin E requirements.
Analysis of 7 brands of commercially available vitamin E showed significant variability between actual content and stated dosage on the label.
Disclaimer:Please take a doctor's opinion before starting your dose!
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Dr.Insiya
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