Vitamin E — E for Everything?
While not quite everything, Vitamin E is good for the skin, heart, brain and has shown positive effects in prostate cancer, pregnancy and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFL).
An article from the Natural Products Insider claims that more than 90 percent of American adults are Vitamin E deficient. Current recommended consumption of Vitamin E is around 15mg/day for adults and upwards to 50–200mg/day for the elderly.
Vitamin E has two forms: tocopherols and tocotrienols. Tocotrienols are those found naturally in foods such as avocados, olives, vegetable oils and almonds. Tocopherol is the form we are most familiar with, supplied as over the counter supplements. While both have antioxidant properties, tocotrienols are more powerful and provide more benefits than the tocopherol supplements alone.
Vitamin E can be ingested or applied topically as gels and creams. When ingested, health benefits mainly include the heart, liver and brain. LDL production — the “bad” cholesterol — is significantly reduced by Vitamin E through the liver and in turn reduces the risk of stroke and cardiovascular diseases. It also appears to be an essential component of brain, nerve, muscle and skin tissue development and has been getting increased popularity in cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
Topically, Vitamin E has skin protective effects such as protection from the damaging effects of the sun and anti-aging properties.
Researchers have been increasingly interested in other roles of Vitamin E in prostate cancer, pregnancy, diabetes, cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
For additional information please visit Natural Products Insider.
Questions: Do you know how to incorporate more Vitamin E into your diet? How often do you look at the nutritional information?
