Natural Vitamin E: 15 Benefits You Won't Believe
By Apricot Power
Health & Wellness
Most people have no idea that vitamin E is not just a single vitamin. Vitamin E is a name that actually represents a group of vitamins that may help fight the free radicals found in the body. It is essentially a group of antioxidants that may help preserve your cells, to avoid oxidative stress.
Vitamin E is made up of eight active compounds: the most active of which is Alpha-tocopherol. Because it is a fat-soluble vitamin, your body can store it and use it as necessary. Vitamin E can naturally be found in nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. It is also available in either a natural or synthetic form.
Today, the most common vitamin E product is vitamin E oil. This makes it easier for vitamin E to be incorporated into many products such as oils, creams, lotions, and even in gel capsules.
Vitamin E Dosage
Since your body can store vitamin E for future use, you should be careful not to go overboard when it comes to your daily vitamin E dosage. This is particularly true among individuals who are supplementing vitamin E without their doctor’s direct guidance.
According to scientific reports from the National Institute of Health or NIH, the Recommended Daily Allowance or RDA of vitamin E for people aged 14 years and older is 15 milligrams. Women who are breastfeeding may increase their vitamin E intake up to 19 mg to support their child.
Infants and children may also need to meet their vitamin E RDAs. Infants who are six months old and below may need as much as 4 mg of vitamin E, while infants six months old and upwards may need 5 mg. Children aged 1 to 3 years old may need 6mg, children aged 4 to 8 years old may need 7mg, and children aged 9 to 13 years old may need 11mg of vitamin E.
In most cases, vitamin E supplementation may not be necessary, especially amongst children. As long as you maintain a healthy, balanced diet, your body can naturally get this nutrient from the food you eat. However, people who are eating processed food regularly, or those who are suffering from certain conditions, may benefit from supplementation.
What Happens if You Lack Vitamin E?
Vitamin E deficiency rarely occurs among people who have readily available food. However, some people may be predisposed to having vitamin E deficiency because their body is not capable of completely absorbing the fat from their diet. Individuals suffering from genetic disorders and premature infants may also be prone to developing vitamin E deficiency.
Vitamin E deficiency may lead to the following:
1) Nerve damage
2) Weakened immune system
3) Retinopathy or eye problems
4) Peripheral neuropathy
5) Skeletal myopathy
6) Anemia
Where can I naturally get Vitamin E?
Vitamin E can be found mainly in plant-based food. If you want to increase your stores of vitamin E naturally, you can opt to include the following items in your diet:
- Nuts such as hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds
- Seeds such as raw apricot seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds
- Vegetables such as broccoli and spinach
- Fruits such as tomato, mango, and kiwifruit
- Oils such as corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, wheat germ oil
- And food items such as peanut butter and eggs
What Makes Natural Vitamin E Superior to Synthetic Vitamin E?
There are two types of vitamin E, d-alpha-tocopherol or natural vitamin E, and its synthetic form, dl-alpha-tocopherol. While you might think that there is little difference between the two, their chemical composition may matter a lot in how they impact your system.
First of all, natural vitamin E may be more biologically active than the synthetic form. This means that the body can easily absorb it and that your body can also efficiently utilize it for function and repair.
Another reason why natural vitamin E is much better is the fact that it only consists of one isomer. Synthetic vitamin E, on the other hand, is made up of eight isomers, and only one of them is similar to natural vitamin E. This may make the synthetic form difficult to transport and assimilate in the body.
Natural vitamin E may be far more potent than synthetic vitamin E. Studies have shown that it may take 300mg of synthetic vitamin E to produce the results of 100mg of natural vitamin E. The tissues may easily absorb natural vitamin E for storage, while the body readily disposes of synthetic vitamin E.
15 Benefits of Natural Vitamin E
There are many benefits of using natural vitamin E. Aside from helping your body to function properly, it may also help promote health and wellness since it may help protect your body on a cellular level. Scientific studies have proven its importance, and many researchers today are still trying to unlock its potential against major diseases. Some of the benefits of using natural vitamin E include:
1) Natural vitamin E is known to help treat AVED or Ataxia with Vitamin E deficiency
AVED, is a progressive disease that may affect the patient's movement and motor control. It can start as numbness on the hands and feet, progressing into leg weakness until the patient is no longer able to walk. This type of ataxia can also lead to eye damage or vision loss. In many cases, medical professions treat the symptoms of these diseases with the help of high doses of vitamin E.
2) Natural vitamin E may help prevent Alzheimer's disease
While people who are already suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's disease might not be treated with taking vitamin E alone, some studies suggest that it may help lower the chances of people who do not have these problems.
Since it is a powerful antioxidant, vitamin E may also be taken with the proper medications to help slow down memory decline as well as delay the need for total caregiver assistance.
3) Natural vitamin E may help reduce menstrual cramps
Studies have shown that vitamin E may help women deal with menstrual cramps. By taking vitamin E supplements a few days before the start and during menstruation, menstrual cramps may be reduced. Vitamin E may also help lower blood loss during menstruation.
4) Natural vitamin E may help improve the symptoms of people with Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease can affect one's ability to think, move, and even to feel. Research suggests that natural vitamin E may help slow down the progression of this disease by protecting your nerve cell membranes from free radicals. However, there is no evidence as of today that points to its use against more advanced Huntington's disease.
5) Natural vitamin E may help people with Rheumatoid arthritis
Studies have shown that vitamin E when taken with RA medications, may help reduce the pain caused by this medical problem. Although vitamin E has not been proven to help reduce the swelling caused by RA, the fact that it may help provide relief makes it an ideal supplement for those who are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Vitamin E may also be used to help prevent the development of this disease, especially in women.
6) Natural vitamin E may help improve physical performance among elderly individuals
As our tissues decline with age, so does our capability to move and do various forms of physical activity. Low vitamin E has been linked with physical decline in elderly. But with the help of vitamin E's ability to fight free radicals, muscular strength may be restored. This may help them to regain mobility and delay the decline in physical performance.
7) Vitamin E may improve athletic performance
Not only is vitamin E needed for the elderly, having natural vitamin E supplements may also benefit athletes. Endurance exercises are known to promote the generation of free radicals within the body, which may lead to muscle injury. Since vitamin E may help protect against oxidative stress, it may help athletes avoid muscular damage so that they may be able to push their limits further.
8) Natural vitamin E may help people who are suffering from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH
NASH is a medical problem that is characterized by the development of inflammation in the liver as a result of fat buildup. In most cases, it is caused by obesity or diabetes. Natural vitamin E may help reduce the inflammation caused by NASH, and it may also help improve the liver markers of this disease in both children and adults.
9) Natural vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson's disease
As an antioxidant, natural vitamin E may help protect the brain from damage caused by free radicals. Studies have shown that people who meet the RDA of natural vitamin E may have a lower risk for developing Parkison's disease later on in life. In that study, it was proven that people who had a diet that contained adequate amounts of vitamin E had a 19% less risk of developing this disease.
10) Natural Vitamin E may help people recover after a laser eye surgery
Vitamin E has long been known for its potential to help protect eyes from damage and to help preserve vision. Today, studies have shown that people who have undergone laser eye surgery or photoreactive keratectomy may help their eyes recover faster by taking vitamin E and vitamin A on a daily basis.
11) Natural Vitamin E may help reduce the symptoms of Premenstrual syndrome
A lot of women find it quite hard to deal with PMS symptoms. In taking vitamin E, many women may notice a decline in anxiety, depression, and cravings. Using natural vitamin E may allow many of the women who suffer from PMS to take control of their lives by overcoming these vicious symptoms.
12) Natural Vitamin E may help protect your skin from sunburn
With summer almost here, sunburn is going to be a common problem among active individuals. And while the discolorations caused by sunburn may easily fade away, you have to know that the damage it can cause may not be only skin deep. Constant exposure to the sun may cause your skin to develop wrinkles later on. But with the help of vitamin E, cellular damage may be mitigated, allowing you to have protection against UV exposure.
13) Natural Vitamin E may help slow down macular degeneration
Aside from physical decline, it is also possible for the elderly to slowly lose their eyesight due to macular degeneration. Studies conducted by the National Eye Institute have found out that vitamin E may play an essential role in slowing down this disease by protecting the cells in your eyes from damage. Using vitamin E supplements may help the elderly to retain their vision for longer.
14) Natural vitamin E may help improve your immune system
It is widely known that vitamin E may be needed for monocyte production. Monocytes are white blood cells that help protect the body from disease-causing microorganisms. By maintaining adequate levels of vitamin E in your body, you may be able to improve your immunity and protect yourself from sickness and certain diseases.
15) Natural Vitamin E may help improve your skin
Vitamin E has been proven to help provide relief for various skin disorders as well as promote skin repair. Dermatologists have been recommending the use of natural vitamin E to help promote cellular restoration as well as to help patients recover from burns or scars by removing free radicals that may make your skin look dull and damaged.
Conclusion
Natural vitamin E is superior to synthetic vitamin E because it can easily be absorbed, stored and used by the body. This allows your body to have the means to constantly protect itself from free radicals and from the damage caused by oxidative stress. Free radicals are associated with many of the ailments that people suffer from today. These conditions may be as simple as minor skin problems, or as complicated as neurodegenerative diseases.
By making sure that your body always gets the right amount of natural vitamin E, you may help make sure that your skin, brain, and other major organs are protected at the cellular level.
