What is Vitamin E and What Does It Do?
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient found in many foods. In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are compounds formed when our body converts the food we eat into energy. People are also exposed to free radicals in the environment from cigarette smoke, air pollution, and ultraviolet rays from the sun.
The body also needs vitamin E to strengthen the immune system so it can fight bacteria and viruses. It helps prevent blood from clotting within the vessels by widening the blood vessels. Additionally, cells use vitamin E to interact with each other and perform many important functions.
How Much Vitamin E Do I Need?
The amount of vitamin E you need each day depends on your age. Average daily recommended amounts are listed below in milligrams (mg).
| Age | Recommended Amount |
|---|---|
| From birth to 6 months | 4mg |
| 7-12 month old babies | 5 mg |
| Children 1-3 years old | 6mg |
| Children 4-8 years old | 7 mg |
| Children aged 9-13 | 11 mg |
| Young people aged 14-18 | 15 mg |
| Adults | 15 mg |
| Pregnant teenagers and women | 15 mg |
| Breastfeeding teenagers and women | 15 mg |
What Foods Provide Vitamin E?
Vitamin E occurs naturally in foods and is added to some fortified foods. You can get the recommended amount of vitamin E by eating a variety of foods, including:
- Vegetable oils such as wheat germ, sunflower and safflower oils are among the best sources of vitamin E. Corn and soybean oils also contain some vitamin E.
- Nuts (peanuts, hazelnuts, and especially almonds) and seeds (sunflower seeds) are also among the best sources of vitamin E.
- Green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli contain some vitamin E.
- Food companies add vitamin E to some breakfast cereals, juices, margarines and spreads, and other foods. Check product labels to find out which ones contain vitamin E.
Meet Your Daily Vitamin E Needs with Original Supplements
You can meet all or part of your vitamin E needs with vitamin E and multivitamin products offered by Bikalite.
What Types of Vitamin E Dietary Supplements Are Available?
Vitamin E supplements are produced in different amounts and forms. The two main things to consider when choosing a vitamin E supplement are:
- Amount of vitamin E: Most multivitamin - mineral supplements taken once daily provide about 13.5 mg of vitamin E, while vitamin E-only supplements usually contain 67 mg or more. The amount of vitamin E contained in supplements containing only vitamin E is much higher than the daily requirement. Some people take high doses because they believe or hope it will keep them healthy or reduce their risk of certain diseases.
- Form of vitamin E: Although vitamin E sounds like a single substance, it is actually the name of eight related compounds in foods, including alpha-tocopherol. Each form has a different effect or level of activity on the body.
Vitamin E from natural sources is commonly listed as " d -alpha-tocopherol " on food packaging and supplement labels. Synthetic (lab-made) vitamin E is often listed as "dl-alpha-tocopherol." The natural form is stronger; 1 mg vitamin E = 1 mg d -alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E) = 2 mg dl -alpha-tocopherol (synthetic vitamin E).
Some food and supplement labels still list vitamin E in International Units (IUs) rather than milligrams (mg). 1 IU of the natural form of vitamin E equals 0.67 mg. 1 IU of the synthetic form of vitamin E equals 0.45 mg.
Some vitamin E supplements provide other forms of the vitamin, such as gamma-tocopherol, tocotrienols, and mixed tocopherols. Scientists do not know whether any of these forms are superior to alpha-tocopherol in supplements.
Am I Getting Enough Vitamin E?
People with a healthy diet take the recommended amount of vitamin E. However, healthy people rarely show any obvious signs that they are not getting enough vitamin E (see the next section for information on symptoms of vitamin E deficiency).
What Happens If I Don't Get Enough Vitamin E?
Vitamin E deficiency is very rare in healthy people. Vitamin E deficiency is almost always linked to certain diseases in which fat is not properly digested or absorbed. Examples include Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, and some rare genetic diseases such as abetalipoproteinemia and ataxia with vitamin E deficiency (AVED). Vitamin E requires some fat for the digestive system to absorb it.
Vitamin E deficiency can cause nerve and muscle damage, resulting in loss of feeling in the arms and legs, loss of body movement control, muscle weakness, and vision problems. Another deficiency symptom is a weakened immune system.
Quality Vitamin E Supplement Types for Vitamin E Deficiency
Vitamin E supplement types that contribute to keeping the immune system strong are available at bicalite
What Are Some Effects of Vitamin E on Health?
Scientists are studying vitamin E to understand how it affects health. Here are a few examples of the results of this research:
Heart disease: Some studies link higher vitamin E intake from supplements to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. But even the best research has not produced conclusive results. People in these studies are randomly assigned to receive either vitamin E or a placebo (a dummy pill containing no vitamin E or active ingredient), and they do not know which they are receiving. Vitamin E supplements have not been shown to prevent heart disease, reduce its severity, or reduce the risk of death from this disease. Scientists don't know whether high vitamin E intake can protect the heart in younger, healthy people who don't have an increased risk of heart disease.
Cancer: Most research shows that vitamin E does not help prevent cancer and may be harmful in some cases. For example, large doses of vitamin E did not consistently reduce the risk of colon and breast cancer in studies. A large study found that taking vitamin E supplements (180 mg/day [400 IU]) for several years increased the risk of prostate cancer in men. Two studies that followed middle-aged men and women for 7 or more years found that extra vitamin E (201-268 mg/day [300-400 IU] on average) did not protect them from any type of cancer. However, one study found a link between use of vitamin E supplements for 10 years or more and a lower risk of death from bladder cancer. Vitamin E dietary supplements and other antioxidants may interact with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. People receiving these treatments should talk to their doctor or oncologist before taking vitamin E or other antioxidant supplements, especially at high doses.
Eye disorders: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), or central vision loss and cataracts in the elderly, are among the most common causes of vision loss in older people. Research results on whether vitamin E can help prevent these conditions are inconsistent. Among people with AMD who are at high risk of developing advanced AMD, a supplement containing large doses of vitamin E, along with other antioxidants, zinc and copper, was found to slow vision loss.
Mental function: Several studies have investigated whether vitamin E supplements can help older adults stay mentally alert and active, as well as prevent or help slow mental function and Alzheimer's disease. Research provides little evidence that taking vitamin E supplements can help healthy people or people with mild mental function problems maintain brain health.
Can Vitamin E Be Harmful?
Vitamin E, found naturally in foods and beverages, is not harmful and does not need to be limited.
However, in supplement form, high doses of vitamin E may increase the risk of bleeding (by reducing the blood's ability to form clots after a cut or injury) and serious bleeding in the brain (known as a hemorrhagic stroke). Because of this risk, the upper limit for adults is 1000 mg/day for natural or synthetic vitamin E supplements. This equals 1500 IU/day for natural vitamin E supplements and 1100 IU/day for synthetic vitamin E supplements. The upper limits for children are lower than those for adults. Some research suggests that even below these upper limits, taking vitamin E supplements may cause harm. For example, in one study, men taking 400 IU (180 mg) of synthetic vitamin E every day for several years had an increased risk of prostate cancer.
Does Vitamin E Interact with Medications or Other Dietary Supplements?
Vitamin E dietary supplements may interact with or reduce the effects of some medications you take. Tell your doctor, pharmacist, and other healthcare professionals about the dietary supplements and medications you take. They can tell you whether these dietary supplements interact with or reduce the effects of your prescription or over-the-counter medications, or whether the medications affect how your body absorbs, uses, or breaks down nutrients.
Vitamin E and Healthy Nutrition
People should get most of their nutrients from food and drink. Foods contain vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and other components that benefit health. In some cases, fortified foods and dietary supplements are useful when it is not possible to meet the needs of one or more nutrients (for example, during certain life stages, such as pregnancy).
Disclaimer
This fact sheet, prepared by the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), provides information that should not replace medical advice. We encourage you to talk with your healthcare 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. Mention of a particular product or service or recommendation from an organization or professional society in this publication does not imply endorsement by ODS of that product, service, or professional advice.
Note: This article is a translation of ODS information and the translation has not been reviewed by ODS.
Source:
- This article was translated from Vitamin E article.