Good Sources of Vitamin E
Many studies show that vitamin E, one of the most potent antioxidants known, helps to prevent cell damage and bladder cancer, and to protect your skin from sun damage. Vitamin E is actually a group of fat-soluble vitamins. They work together with other nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin B3, selenium and glutathione. Vitamin E can be found in green vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Features
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), vitamin E deficiency is rare but possible in very-low-birth-weight newborns. Also, because it's a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin E deficiency may affect people with certain rare diseases that make fat absorption difficult. It's possible to ingest too much vitamin E when taking supplements. Vitamin E toxicity of more than 3000 IU, especially in combination with vitamin K deficiency, can cause hemorrhage and affect blood coagulation. No toxicity has been shown from ingesting too much vitamin E from food sources.
Function
Vitamin E may play an important role in preventing or delaying coronary heart disease. A 2005 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) followed 40,000 women aged 45 years or older for 10 years. They were assigned either vitamin E or a placebo. The women receiving vitamin E had a 24 percent reduction in cardiovascular death rates. Women 65 years or older had a 49 percent lower death rate from cardiovascular disease. Vitamin E may also play a role in preventing cancer and eye diseases, and help in treating cognitive decline.
Benefits
Studies have found that vitamin E from foods protects against cancer and cognitive decline, according to The World's Healthiest Foods. The reason for this is that foods contain all the various forms of vitamin E, whereas supplements usually contain only alpha tocopherol. At least eight forms of vitamin E work together for their health effects. Researchers still don't know exactly which member of the vitamin E family provides each different protection or health benefit.
Warning
Because vitamin E degenerates on contact with oxygen, keep sources of vitamin E fresh and unprocessed. The 60 percent whole wheat used in most baked goods in the United States, for example, loses 90 percent of its alpha tocopherol in processing. Vegetable oils, another potentially excellent source of vitamin E, need to be kept with their caps tightly closed and refrigerated. Use oils as quickly as possible for optimum vitamin E.
Sources
Food sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and greens. Excellent sources of vitamin E include mustard greens, turnip greens, chard and sunflower seeds, according to The World's Healthiest Foods. Other sources of vitamin E include almonds and spinach. According to the NIH, peanuts, hazelnuts and safflower oil are also excellent sources of vitamin E. Wheat germ oil, however, is by far the best source: 1 tbsp. contains 20mg vitamin E, or 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance.
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