Understanding Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an important vitamin, but do we really know what it is all about

? How would you know if you suffer from a vitamin E deficiency? How can you get vitamin E into your diet? First of all, it helps to get an understanding of what vitamin E actually is.

What is it?

As an antioxidant, this vitamin is fat soluble, and it can be found in fats, food, and oils [1]. One of its core benefits is to defend against free radicals in the body. Although there is more to be uncovered about these free radicals, it is said that they are involved in the prevention of cell damage. Cell damage can be a common pathway for cancer, aging, and a variety of diseases [2].

Vitamin E in your diet

There are a number of different food sources that contain vitamin E. Some of these include:

*Liver

*Eggs

*Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts)

*Sunflower seeds

*Mayonnaise

*Margarine (corn-oil based)

*Vegetable oils (olive, corn, sunflower)

*Dark green leafy vegetables

*Avocado

*Asparagus

Vitamin E deficiencies

Vitamin E is not only important for fighting against free radicals; it also helps to form red blood cells [3]. Some people who have difficulty absorbing fat and therefore could develop a vitamin E deficiency. Some of the symptoms of a serious deficiency include [4]:

*Muscle weakness

*Loss of muscle mass

*Abnormal eye movements

*Impaired vision

*Unsteady gait

Despite the seriousness of this, most people are able to get vitamin E through their diets. There is even a type of water soluble vitamin E for those who have conditions such as pancreatic insufficiency and cystic fibrosis.

Vitamin E is also available in different forms of health supplements such as soft gels, tablets, and capsules. Vitamin E oil can also be purchased for topical application on the skin.

[1] University of Maryland Medical Centre. (2010). Vitamin E. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-e-000341.htm

[2] Rice University. (2010). Antioxidants. http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/antiox.html

by: Haylee Hulme.

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