Naturally occurring vitamin E exists in eight chemical forms.Alpha tocopherol is the only form that is recognized to meet human requirements.
It is fat soluble Vitamin. It dissolves in fat and get stored in the body.
Vitamin E is an important vitamin required for the proper function of many organs in the body.
Food sources:
– Almonds
– Peatnuts
– Leafy Vegetables
– Brocolli
– Kiwi
– Tomatoes
– Vegetable oils(Wheatgerm, sunflower, safflower, corn & soyabean oils)
– Hazelnut
– Fortified foods and supplements.
Benefits of Vitamin E:
– Vitamin E may help repair damaged cells.
– It is an antioxidant. This means it protects body tissue from damage caused by substances called free radicals. Free radicals can harm cells, tissues, and organs.
– The body also needs vitamin E to help keep the immune system strong against viruses and bacteria.
– Vitamin E is also important in the formation of red blood cells.
– It helps the body use vitamin K.
– It also helps widen blood vessels and keep blood from clotting inside them.
Vitamin E deficiency:
– It is very rare in healthy people.
– It is almost always linked to certain diseases in which fat is not properly digested or absorbed.Examples-Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis.
– It may cause rare genetic disease like ataxia with vitamin E deficiency.
– Vitamin E deficiency can cause nerve and muscle damage that results in loss of feeling in the arms and legs, loss of body movement control, muscle weakness, and vision problems.
– Another sign of deficiency is a weakened immune system.
Overdose of Vitamin E:
– Excessive vitamin E intake can interfere with blood clotting, which is your body’s natural defense against excessive bleeding after an injury.
– It has also been linked to an increased risk of stroke caused by bleeding in the brain.
– “Taking Vitamin E more than 180mg continuously for years may result in prostate cancer in men” says a research.
Daily Intake of Vitamin E:
Infants,
0 to 6 months: 4 mg/day
7 to 12 months: 5 mg/day
Children,
1 to 3 years: 6 mg/day
4 to 8 years: 7 mg/day
9 to 13 years: 11 mg/day
Adolescents and adults,
14 and older: 15 mg/day
Pregnant teens and women: 15 mg/day
Breastfeeding teens and women: 19 mg/day.
Eating vitamin E in foods is not risky or harmful. However,high doses of vitamin E supplements are harmful.
While on medication,Consult your doctor before taking Vitamin E as supplements.
*Start taking Vitamin E in right amounts and stay Healthy*
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