Health Benefits Of Vitamin E

Some consider vitamin E a wonder supplements for its ability to neutralize free radicals, and to help with blood clotting, but what other benefits can it provide? How much should I take on a given day? Does vitamin E really have all the cashe’ that medical professionals claim? All great questions, so lets take a look!

Vitamin E acts as a powerful antioxidant by neutralizing free radicals in the body that cause tissue and cellular damage. It also contributes to a healthy circulatory system and aids in proper blood clotting and improves wound healing. Some studies have shown that vitamin E decreases symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and certain types of breast disease.

Food Sources:

The best way to get the daily requirement of is by eating quality food sources. Below is a short list of foods where this powerful antioxidant can be found:

• Vegetable oils (such as wheat germ, sunflower, safflower, corn, and soybean oils)
• Nuts (such as almonds, peanuts, and hazelnuts/filberts)
• Seeds (such as sunflower seeds)
• Green leafy vegetables (such as spinach and broccoli)
• Fortified breakfast cereals, fruit juices, margarine, and spreads. Fortified means that vitamins have been added to the food. Check the Nutrition Fact Panel on the food label.

Products made from these foods, such as margarine, also contain vitamin E.

 Side Effects Of Vitamin E:

Vitamin E dietary supplements can interact or interfere with certain medicines that you take. Here are some examples:

• Vitamin E can increase the risk of bleeding in people taking anticoagulant or anti-platelet medicines, such as warfarin (Coumadin®).
• In one study, vitamin E plus other antioxidants (such as vitamin C, selenium, and beta-carotene) reduced the heart-protective effects of two drugs taken in combination (a statin and niacin) to affect blood-cholesterol levels.
• Taking antioxidant supplements while undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer could alter the effectiveness of these treatments.

Tell your doctor, pharmacist, and other health care providers about any dietary supplements and medicines you take. They can tell you if those dietary supplements might interact or interfere with your prescription or over-the-counter medicines, or if the medicines might interfere with how your body absorbs, uses, or breaks down nutrients.

How Much Vitamin E Should I Take?

Almost all research shows that, when positive results are obtained from vitamin E supplementation, hundreds of units per day are required-an amount easily obtained with supplements but nearly impossible to obtain in the average diet. Consequently, using
purely food sources to get enough vitamin E as suggested by some researchers may not be practical for many individuals.

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for is quite low, 15 mg to 20 International Units (IU) per day. The most commonly recommended dosage of supplemental vitamin E for adults is approximately 300 to 800 IU per day. This information should not take the place of medical advice. Its highly encouraged you to talk to your health care providers (doctor, registered dietitian, pharmacist, etc.) about your interest in, questions about, or use of dietary supplements and what may be best for your overall health.

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Thanks for Reading!

Chris