Benefits of Vitamin E

The Benefits of Vitamin E

In the following section, we will take a close look at all of the most important vitamin E benefits for men and women:

Vision Support

Vitamin E has been acknowledged by leading medical authorities as an essential nutrient for eye health. More specifically, vitamin E has been observed to lower the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration in high-quality clinical studies from the likes of the National Institutes of Health.

Antioxidant Defense

One of the key components in vitamin E (one of the 8 micronutrients that comprise the vitamin) is known as tocopherol. Tocopherol has been acknowledged as an important antioxidant.

Antioxidants like tocopherol can help scavenge free radical cells and prevent excessive oxidative stress on multiple organs of the body including the eyes, liver, skin, brain, and more.

Skin Health and Improved Skin Appearance

At this point, you may be asking yourself, ‘what does vitamin E do in a practical sense?’ One of the advantages of vitamin E supplementation that you will be able to notice on a day-to-day basis is improved skin appearance.

There have been multiple studies from leading medical authorities that suggest that vitamin E has photoprotective effects on the skin. This means that maintaining healthy levels of vitamin E will help reduce your chances of developing dark spots on your skin as a result of sun exposure.

Reproductive Health

As discussed in the present paper, vitamin E has been reported to exert beneficial effects as an antioxidant against the reproductive disorders.

In addition, it has been found that vitamin E can help maintain ovarian health for women by reducing the inflammation that can cause reproductive issues. This means that keeping your levels of vitamin E in the healthy range can make you more fertile and increase your chances of bringing a healthy baby to term.

This is why many prenatal doctors and physicians suggest taking vitamin E supplements when you are pregnant and often prescribe prenatal supplements that contain vitamin E.

Blood Health

Your blood cells need to be maintained in healthy condition in order for you to live an active, healthy, and full life. Vitamin E can help with that. One of the most important benefits of vitamin E pills and supplements is that it can protect the outer membrane of your blood cells.

The National Institutes of Health has reported that vitamin E is effective for fortifying blood cells and making them more resistant to deterioration.

Reduced Risk of Malnutrition

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient for men and women. When you are deficient in vitamin E, you may be putting yourself at risk for a variety of health issues. Vitamin E deficiency has also been observed to exhibit common side effects and symptoms.

The National Institutes of Health describes what can happen when you aren’t getting enough vitamin E in the following study quote:

Patients presenting early may show hyporeflexia, decreased night vision, loss/decreased vibratory sense; however, they have normal cognition. A more moderate stage of this deficiency may show limb and truncal ataxia, profuse muscle weakness, and limited upward gaze.

Immune Health

Vitamin E also plays an important role in protecting the cells that contribute to your immune response. In particular, it's the antioxidants in vitamin E that help reduce immune cell death and help keep your immune system in tip-top shape.

So getting a good amount of daily vitamin E can help protect you from illnesses and prevent you from contracting viral infections.

Cognitive Health

Once again, the antioxidants in Vitamin E take center stage. Vitamin E is believed to slow the progression of cognitive decline by protecting neurons and brain cells from oxidative stress.

This also means that vitamin E is likely to improve cognitive function by improving the way that neurons communicate with one another in your brain.

Food Sources of Vitamin E

Now that you know about the important benefits of vitamin E, you probably want to know what foods you can eat to make sure your vitamin E levels are adequate. Here is a list of great vitamin E foods that you can add to your diet today:

• Avocados
• Wheat germ oil
• Cooking oil
• Mangos
• Sunflower seeds
• Peanut butter
• Almonds
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Kiwis
• Asparagus
• Tomatoes
• Sunflower oil
• Beetroot
• Trout
• Fish
• Pumpkins
• Swiss chard

Vitamin E Deficiency

While vitamin E deficiency is rare in most adults, it can still occur if you have a genetic predisposition to it or you are simply not getting enough of it in your diet. The symptoms of vitamin E deficiency can include limited mobility, cognitive issues, vision issues, cardiovascular problems, advanced skin aging, and more.

Are There Any Side Effects of Vitamin E?

The short answer is no. However, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Taking too much vitamin E can lead to minor and short-lived side effects such as increased bleeding, muscle weakness, and minor headaches. It is recommended that you not exceed a daily dosage of 1,000 milligrams of vitamin E.