Vitamin E or Alpha-Tocopherol

Vitamin E or Alpha-Tocopherol is one of the important vitamins that support your body in many different ways. Studies have shown that Vitamin E (V-E) can protect you against approximately eighty diseases.

V-E is a "super" anti-oxidant, which protects your cells against damage caused by "free radicals". Together with Vitamin C and Vitamin A, these antioxidants will help slow the aging process, it can help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease (by keeping the bad form of cholesterol (LDL)low), and it is useful in treating premenstrual syndrome and fibrocystic disease of the breast.

Studies have shown that if you take V-E on a regular basis you will lower your risk of heart disease with 40%.

V-E will increase your immune system, by making it more resistant to bacterial and viral infections. It accelerates the healing of burns, it relieves leg cramps, it reduces blood pressure, it enhances sperm production, it prevents and dissolves blood clots, it promotes healthy skin and hair and prevents age spots, it supplies oxygen to your blood, and it improves the proper development of muscles.

Synthetic E is much (80-95%) less effective as the 100% natural form. The 100% natural form is derived from soybeans and contains 5 – 10 times more biological activity than the synthetic form.

Deficiency effects

Since Vitamin E is contained in so many different foods and because the body is capable of storing this fat soluble vitamin, deficiencies are very rare.

However they do occur and if so the symptoms can be severe. A deficiency may lead to infertility, to lack of sexual vitality, to an increase in the risk of a miscarriage, anemia and an overall loss of balance.

A deficiency of V-E can also lead to rupture of red blood cells, dry skin, and abnormal fat deposits and degenerative changes in your muscles (including your heart muscles).

If a deficiency of V-E is not addressed properly, over time, the body will simply begin to waste away.

Foods high in Vitamin E

The best naturally-occurring sources of Vitamin E are mangoes and sweet potatoes.

Other good sources are natural oils like peanut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil and corn oil.

Sufficient levels of V-E are found in nuts (walnuts, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds and almonds), butter, margarine, soya, spinach, broccoli, eggs, wheat germ, yams, corn, avocados and liver. Please note that green vegetables only contain small amounts of V-E.

The storage and the preparation (freezing, processing, preserving and exposing) of these foods can significantly deplete the V-E content.

The recommended daily intake of Vitamin E is 12 mg. However, if you smoke cigarettes or live or work in an area with high air pollution, you should increase your daily intake.