Vitamin E

Most people out there start looking for a magic pill as they begin to age. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to find a pill that could help your skin look younger, softer and smoother? What about minimizing the appearance of wrinkles or scars? With all of the talk these days about free radicals and antioxidants, it is more important than ever to arm your body with effective doses of antioxidants.

Is it impossible to find a vitamin that could offer all of these benefits? No. Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that is essential for good health and is a powerful antioxidant that will help protect cell membranes as well as beautifying your skin, all while fighting the effects of aging. Vitamin E has also been linked to increasing athletic performance, aiding in visual functions and being of use as a treatment for premenstrual syndromes and symptoms as well as breast cysts.

Vitamin E can be found naturally by eating wheat germ oil, nuts and seeds, egg yolks, leafy greens and whole grains. Other vegetable oils such as olive oil, corn oil, safflower, soybean oil, and canola oil also contain significant amounts of vitamin E. However the large amounts of vitamin E that is available in a supplement form cannot be obtained by natural sources alone. Supplements typically contain anywhere from 100 to 800 IU and should be taken daily by people who can benefit.

Studies have been done that find that supplementing with vitamin E can help to prevent heart disease and may slow the progression Alzheimer disease. Vitamin E will also help build the immune system of the elderly and may be of benefit to children who suffer from epilepsy. If applied topically, vitamin E is a very effective treatment for the healing of small cuts, burns or minimizing the appearance of scars.

If you are deficient in vitamin E you may experience muscle fatigue or weakness leading to muscle disease, your reproductive performance may suffer and their may be difficulties if you are trying to conceive. A vitamin E deficiency may lead to visual problems, particularly atrophy of the retina. As well as an inflammation of body fat or neurological problems, if there is a significant deficiency. It is rare however to have a severe vitamin E deficiency, and it is generally a genetic abnormality if it occurs. Others who may be likely to experience a vitamin E deficiency have rheumatoid arthritis and major depression.

If you want to supplement with vitamin E, 400IU is the standard supplementation level for adults. It is highly unlikely to experience vitamin E toxicity, however there has been no long term studies proving that any benefit can be obtained from higher doses.