Did You Know Just That Many Cancers Are Linked To A Vitamin Deficiency?
Vitamin E - tocopherol- information
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Vitamin E has earned itself a reputation - from spicing
up your sex life to banning wrinkles and old age. One of
the most important functions of this vitamin is its antioxidant
properties. Vitamin E is an essential fat-soluble vitamin
that includes eight naturally occurring compounds in two
classes designated as tocopherols and tocotrienols.
Vitamin
E is an effective chain-breaking, lipid-soluble antioxidant
in biological membranes, and aids in membrane stability.
Vitamin
E is required for
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, protects your cells
from oxidation, and neutralizes unstable free radicals,
which can cause damage. This is done by the vitamin E giving
up one of its electrons to the electron deficient free radical,
making it more stable. While Vitamin E performs its antioxidant
functions, it also protects the other antioxidants from
being oxidized.
This
antioxidant capability is then also great in helping to
prevent degenerative diseases - including heart disease,
strokes, arthritis, senility, diabetes and cancer. It also
assists in fighting heart disease and cancers and is essential
for red blood cells, helps with cellular respiration and
protects the body from pollution - especially the lungs.
Vitamin E is also useful in preventing blood clots from
forming and promotes fertility, reduces and/or prevents
hot flushes in menopause. An increase in stamina and endurance
is also attributed to Vitamin E.
Vitamin
E is also used topically to great effect for skin treatments
- in helping the skin look younger, promoting healing and
cutting down the risk of scar tissue forming. Used on the
skin it is also reported to help with eczema, skin ulcers
cold sores and shingles.
Deficiency
of vitamin E
Deficiency of Vitamin E is not common, and the symptoms
not very clear cut, but may include fatigue, inflamed varicose
veins, wounds healing slowly, premature aging and sub-fertility.
When Vitamin E is in short supply symptoms may include acne,
anemia, muscle disease, dementia, cancers, gallstones, shortened
red blood cell life span, spontaneous abortion (miscarriage),
and uterine degeneration.
Dosage
The dosage underneath is the Recommended Dietary Allowance
(RDA), but be aware that this dosage is the minimum that
you require per day, to ward off serious deficiency of this
particular nutrient. In the therapeutic use of this nutrient,
the dosage is usually increased considerably, but the toxicity
level must be kept in mind.
Males
300 iu (10 mg) per day and females 8 mg per day
Toxicity
and symptoms of high intake
Toxicity is not easily reached. High intakes may induce
diarrhea, nausea or abdominal wind. People on anticoagulant
medication should not take more than 1,200 iu per day.
Best
used with
Take Vitamin E with the range of antioxidants - that being
vitamin C, beta-carotene and selenium. Vitamin B group vitamins
as well as inositol and manganese is also indicated.
When
more may be required
When your diet is high in refined carbohydrates, fried foods
and fat, or you are taking a birth control pill or hormone
replacement therapy, then a supplement of Vitamin E might
be called for. People suffering from pre-menstrual cramps,
menopausal hot flushes, after a stroke or suffering from
a heart disease might benefit from Vitamin E. It might also
be beneficial to relieve painful or swollen joints, if you
are exposed to pollution (that is about all of us), suffer
from poor circulation or from Dupuytren's disease, which
is a thickening of the ligaments in the hands.
Enemy
of vitamin E
Vitamin E is lost in food processing which includes milling,
cooking, freezing, long storage periods and when exposed
to air.
Vitamin
E should not be taken together with inorganic iron supplements
as it may destroy the vitamin, while organic iron, such
as ferrous gluconate and ferrous fumarate does not affect
the vitamin.
Other
interesting points
When buying a supplement you often see "d-alpha-tocopherol"
on the list of ingredients - that means that the Vitamin
E is from natural sources, whereas "dl-alpha-tocopherol"
will indicate that it is from synthetic origin. As such
the origin of the vitamin does not influence the efficiency
thereof.
Food
sources of vitamin E
Vitamin E is found in nuts, oils, vegetables, sunflower
seeds, whole grains, spinach, oils, seeds, wheat oils, asparagus,
avocado, beef, seafood, apples, carrots, celery etc .
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