Fat Soluble Vitamin Series, Vitamin E

Fat Soluble Vitamin Series, Vitamin E

Vitamin E features among the four fat-soluble vitamins and it acts as a vital antioxidant in your body. It has the ability to reduce the damage occasioned by free oxygen radicals to some fats which are key for the maintenance of your health. Additionally, a couple of organs rely on this fat-soluble vitamin for normal functioning and what is more is that it has the ability of naturally reducing the aging process. Many of the cardiovascular diseases that have become quite common can be prevented thanks to the effects of vitamin E on our blood vessels.

What are the food sources of vitamin E?

You might be consuming foods that have vitamin E but the ones that are rich in vitamin E are:

  • Plant oils for instance corn, soya or olive oil
  • Most nuts and seeds
  • Wheat germ that could be obtained from cereal as well as the various cereal products

The recommended daily intake of vitamin E in the UK

To ensure that you are getting enough of vitamin E to cater for your body needs, it is advised that you take:

  • For men, take 4mg on daily basis
  • For women, take 3mg on daily basis

In case you normally consume a balanced diet, attaining this should not be such a hustle and you actually may not require to take any supplements.

Symptoms indicating Vitamin E Deficiency

Inadequate amounts of vitamin E in your body will be manifested by the following symptoms:

  • Have greasy diarrhoea
  • Having chronic diarrhoea
  • Inability to secrete bile
  • An alarming deficiency of vitamin E will be manifested by having the following symptoms and signs:
  • Weakness of the muscles and having an unsteady gait
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Dementia
  • Kidney and liver problems
  • Vision problems such as a reduction in your visual field, blindness or abnormal eye movements

People who are Vulnerable to Vitamin E Deficiency

Since this is a fat-soluble vitamin, people who are unable to absorb dietary fat or those who have a defect in the metabolism of fat will be unable to absorb vitamin E and hence end up being deficient. Premature as well as the low birth weight infants are also vulnerable to being vitamin E deficient. In case you have a genetic abnormality in the alpha tocopherol transfer protein, you will be predisposed to the deficiency of this vitamin.

Studies on vitamin E deficiency have questioned the assumption that many of us don’t have a deficiency of this fat-soluble. The results point to the condition of vitamin E deficiency being more common than was traditionally thought.

Health Benefits of Vitamin E to our Bodies

It reduces free oxygen radicals and counters disease development

You need to get rid of free oxygen radicals from your body since these usually destroy healthy tissues predisposing you to cardiovascular diseases and even cancer. Acting as an antioxidant, vitamin E is able to reduce the amount of free oxygen radicals leading to more healthy body cells as well as less chances of getting cancer. Through its actions, the aging process will be significantly cut down.

Based on a number of studies, it has been shown that vitamin E is a good boost to our immunity. The results indicate that the chances of getting the ubiquitous illnesses and other profound medical conditions are reduced with the use of vitamin E.

Helps to Balance Cholesterol

The liver is the place where cholesterol is made in your body, and this natural substance is responsible for the normal functioning of our cells, nerves and the various hormones in our bodies. Having a balanced level of cholesterol is associated with balanced, healthy and normal functioning cells, but when this balance is tipped through the oxidation of cholesterol, the consequences are dire.

To counter this, some studies have associated vitamin E with a protective effect on this. Vitamin E has been proven to reduce the oxidation of cholesterol according you the benefit of having healthy and normal functioning cells.

It helps in the repair of skin that’s been damaged

This fat-soluble vitamin will aid in giving strength to the capillary walls within your skin and this helps to keep your skin moist besides maintaining its elasticity. What is more desirable is that the aging process will be slowed in your skin, and you can exploit this as a natural way of having a youthful look.

Vitamin E is also useful in countering the effects of cigarette smoke and UV rays thanks to its antioxidant properties. Cancer will be kept at bay since the chronic oxidative damage to our skins that is usually a causative factor will have been countered.

Studies have proven that vitamin E is beneficial in helping to reduce the rate of inflammation in our skins for a youthful and healthy skin appearance. Vitamin E in combination with vitamin C have been shown to fight off the effects of UV rays on our skins and they could also be helpful in reducing eczema and acne. Faster healing of the skin could also be achieved with the aid of vitamin E and this has been exploited for the treatment of sun burns.

Aids in Thickening of Hair

Apart from according you a youthful look, this potent vitamin can also help you to thicken your hair. Through its antioxidant properties, damage to the environment around your hairs will be reduced drastically. Additionally, circulation to your scalp will be improved by having the right amount of vitamin E or through the use of supplements and this helps to keep your hair healthy.

Oil made using vitamin E has been shown to help in the retention of moisture in our scalps, this way you won’t have a flaky and dry scalp. The oil will also aid you in attaining fresher and healthier hair.

Vitamin E is one of the four fat-soluble vitamins that can be found in rich supply in plant oils, cereals and various nuts and seeds. Its deficiency can be manifested by one having greasy and chronic diarrhoea. The health benefits from it are numerous with the notable ones being its antioxidant effects which reduce the chances of one having cardiovascular diseases or developing cancer. It is recommended that you ensure that the foods you consume have the right amount of it as research has shown that its deficiency is quite common.

 

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