The term vitamin E describes a family of 8 antioxidants, 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols. alpha-tocopherol (a-tocopherol) is the only form of vitamin E that is actively maintained in the human body and is therefore, the form of vitamin E found in the largest quantities in the blood and tissue.
Why do we need vitamin E?
Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin, protects vitamin A and essential fatty acids from oxidation in the body cells and prevents breakdown of body tissues.
vitamin e
Do we get enough vitamin E?
According to recent surveys of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the intake of vitamin E by women 19 to 50 years of age averaged less than 90% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). Men of the same age had intakes close to 100% of the RDA. We need to remind ourselves that the RDA is an absolute minimum requirement, below which your body is actually in deficiency.
Vitamin E can be lost from foods during preparation, cooking, or storage.
Beyond taking enough vitamin E to prevent an actual deficiency, is there any scientific evidence which shows that taking vitamin E in higher levels can promote good health and prevent and treat disease? Let's examine this question.
Vitamin E and heart disease
Support for the role of vitamin E in heart disease prevention has come from observational studies, particularly 2 cohort studies which were published in 1993. In the 1st study, the Nurses' Health Study, the researchers concluded that among 83,234 middle-aged women who participated in the study, there was a 40% reduced risk of coronary artery disease for those who took vitamin E supplements compared to those who did not (New England Journal of Medicine 1993;328: 1444-9). The 2nd study, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, involved over 39,000 males and showed evidence of a significant association between a high intake of vitamin E from supplements and a lower risk of heart disease (New England Journal of Medicine 1993; 328:1450-1456). Discount E Vitamin Supplements, Cheap E Vitamins
