What Are the Benefits of Vitamin E?

Vitamin E Deficiency can be covered by the use of vitamin E supplements. Deficiency of vitamin E occurs in people due to a rare genetic disorder. However underweight newborns and infants can also be deficient in vitamin E. Except as a minor nutrient essential for your organ’s functioning, vitamin E is also used for other purposes but scientific research doesn’t support its use. 

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient required for the accurate functioning of your body organs. As it is an antioxidant, it can dissolve in fat. Many foods contain vitamin E which should be included in your daily diet. It naturally occurs in the form of RRR-alpha-tocopherol in food items such as fruits, vegetable oils, poultry, eggs, meat, and cereals. However, vitamin E is also artificially prepared as an all-RAC-alpha-tocopherol supplement.

However, the first question is to know the ways your body uses vitamin E. Different body functions, including supporting your immune system and protecting you from oxidative stress, are associated with vitamin E levels in your body. You can add different vitamin E-containing foods and supplements to your daily diet to fulfill the body’s needs for vitamin E.

Main Functions of Vitamin E

Vitamin E plays an important role in your body, including:

• Promoting metabolic processes.
• Improving cellular signaling.
• Strengthen your immunity.
• Protect cells from damage due to oxidative pressure.
• Neutralizes harmful free radicals found in your body and can harm your organs. 

The main natural resources of vitamin E are:

• Nuts.
• Certain fortified products.
• Vegetables.
• Seeds.

Uses of Vitamin E

1. People take vitamin E by mouth to prevent and treat vitamin E deficiency.
2. Vitamin E is taken orally to treat an inherited condition, AVED, a condition affecting motor control in your body. This is known as a genetic movement disorder and can be prevented with vitamin E.
3. Vitamin E is effective for Alzheimer’s disease. Although taking orally vitamin E has no effects on the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, taking vitamin E in combination with some anti-Alzheimer medications can help slow down the process of memory loss.
4. Menstrual cramps are treated by using vitamin E supplements by mouth. You can take vitamin E three days before bleeding starts. This will reduce the severity of menstrual pain, decrease cramping during periods, and reduce blood loss during menstruation.
5. Beta-thalassemia is a condition that reduces the levels of certain proteins in your blood, called hemoglobin. This blood disorder is treated by taking vitamin E orally, especially if it affects children. It is a beneficial way to get rid of this disease.

In this article, we will delve into exploring the potential benefits and risks of vitamin E and its sources to add to your diet.

Vitamin E as Food vs. as Supplements

According to the study, a balanced and nutritious diet doesn’t have all the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and nutrients that are required for the proper functioning of your different body organs. 

This is because:

• Certain supplements have high amounts of vitamin E that can have adverse effects on your health.
• Plant-based diets lack vitamin E. Therefore, people eating plant-based foods also eat ultra-processed foods to fulfill their needs for vitamin E. These processed edibles have low nutritional values and cause several health conditions.
• Whole foods contain fiber and protein that are beneficial in other ways.

However, if you are living with some dietary restrictions or following a low-calorie diet, you need supplements to compensate for the deficiency of vitamin E.

Benefits of Vitamin E

Getting enough vitamin E can help in improving your overall health and maintain your nutrient balance in the body. More benefits linked with vitamin E are:

• Reduction in Markers of Oxidative Stress
• Oxidative stress is a condition when an imbalance occurs when your body experiences an imbalance between the production accumulation of reactive oxygen species and your body’s antioxidant defenses. This condition can increase the disease risk due to cellular damage in the body. However, vitamin E consumption can reduce the risks.
• Improved Antioxidant Defenses

Improved antioxidant defenses can lower the risks of

• Cognitive decline.
• Cancer.
• Eye disorder.
• Heart diseases.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant in your body and can reduce markers of oxidative stress to boost antioxidant defenses. Therefore, research suggests increasing the intake of vitamin E to support your overall health. 

According to a 2016 study, vitamin  E is also effective for the treatment and prevention of kidney disease and high blood sugar levels. This study also supports the theory that taking vitamin E supplements with a combination of vitamin C daily for 4 weeks can help reduce markers of oxidative stress, including ROS and malondialdehyde.

In addition, sometimes, high doses of vitamin E supplements can increase some risks of certain health conditions, including:

• All-cause mortality.
• Hemorrhagic stroke.
• Internal bleeding.
• Prostate cancer.

These adverse health conditions can be prevented with vitamin E consumption in food.

Reduction in Heart Disease Risk Factors

Risks of heart disease are developed more frequently if you have already been caught by any health condition such as high blood pressure, and higher levels of triglycerides on blood lipids including LDL (bad cholesterol). 

Research suggests that vitamin E supplements can help reduce risk factors for the said diseases but more studies are required to support its use. 

A 2018 review report says that vitamin E supplements help reduce systolic blood pressure but they cannot affect diastolic blood pressure. Further studies also show that taking omega-3 supplements with vitamin E supplements may help reduce triglyceride and LDL levels in your body especially if you have a metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of clusters of health conditions including heart diseases and high blood fat levels.

According to a recent statement from US Preventive Services, taking vitamin E supplements for the prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer is not the right way. The researchers at this institute were against the use of vitamin E supplements for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. However, some researchers support the idea that eating nuts, seeds, and fortified foods, high in vitamin E, is linked with improved heart health. It also helps to reduce the risks of cancer, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. 

Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease includes certain conditions that cause an accumulation of fats in the liver of people not drinking alcohol. According to research, vitamin E also affects the health conditions in people with NAFLD.

According to a 2020 study, supplementing with vitamin E can help reduce levels of liver enzymes to improve liver health by removing fats from it. Studies also support the idea that vitamin E consumption can lower the levels of ALT and AST. Their lower levels are favorable for good health.

Manage Menstrual PainFrequent and severe menstrual pain causes cramps and pelvic pain. This condition is known as Dysmenorrhea. Research declared that vitamin E supplements can reduce menstrual pain and cramps in women during menstruation.

A 2018 study suggests that women with dysmenorrhea can relieve their pain by taking 150 IU of vitamin E instead of a placebo. Combining vitamin E with omega-3 can enhance the effects of treatment. In addition, more studies have found results that supplementing a combination of vitamin E and vitamin C for 6 weeks can help reduce the severity of pelvic pain and dysmenorrhea in women with endometriosis. 

Potential Health Benefits of Vitamin E

Consumption of vitamin  E in your daily diet can enhance the beneficial impacts of it on your health. Vitamin E is also associated with several health benefits, including:

Benefits for Skin Health

Research findings show that vitamin E is suitable for people who have certain skin disorders, including psoriasis and eczema. However, more research is needed in this field to support this potential benefit. 

Benefits of Cognitive Health

Although the research is limited, researchers suggest that maintaining optimal levels of vitamin E by taking supplements can help prevent cognitive decline. However, the proof is unclear whether the supplements benefit the people living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Benefits for Older Adults

As vitamin E is useful for maintaining health and reducing inflammation with an improved immune function, therefore, it is considered the best option for older adults to improve their overall health by increasing the intake of vitamin E.

Improve Lung Function

A 2017 study recommends that vitamin E supplements can improve lung function and certain asthma conditions in older people. The findings of a 2015 research also suggested that adequate levels of vitamin E in your bloodstream can be helpful in reducing the risks of lung cancer in males who are addicted to cigarettes. Ancient research proved that a high intake of vitamin E through the daily diet is associated with better lung function in males.

Foods Rich in Vitamin E

Here you may find some food resources that may help you increase your intake of vitamin E:

Vitamin E amount Food Serving per Meal

50% of DV Sunflower Seeds 28 grams

20% of DV Peanut butter 30 grams

15% of DV Cooked Spinach 110 grams

08% of DV Kiwi 65 grams

06% of DV Tomatoes 120 grams

05% of DV Boiled Broccoli 49 grams

05% of DV Mango 79 grams

45% of DV Roasted Almonds 29 grams

Always, remember that a diet containing all natural resources of vitamin A must consist of seeds, fruits, and nuts. 

Quantity of Vitamin E Necessary for You

Vitamin E deficiency is not common in healthy people. Adequate intake of vitamin E for different people of different ages is listed here:

Age Lactating People Pregnant People Non-lactating

Non-pregnant People

0 to 7 months 4 mg

8 to 12 months 5 mg

1 to 2 years 6 mg

3 to 8 years 7 mg

9 to 12 years 10 mg

15+ years 21 mg 16 mg 15 mg

Deficiency of Vitamin E

Vitamin E deficiency is found rare in people. However, it is common in certain areas or populations. For example, some medical conditions such as corhon’s disease, fat malabsorption, or cystic fibrosis are indications of vitamin E deficiency. In addition, people with certain inherited diseases like abetalipoproteinemia are more likely to be affected by vitamin E deficiency. 

Negative Impacts of Higher Levels of Vitamin E

Too much consumption of vitamin E through food is not considered good for your health. However, studies support increasing the intake of vitamin E in the form of supplements. But always remember that higher levels of vitamin E can cause side effects and harm your overall health. According to studies, vitamin E supplements can increase the risk of certain types of cancer, including prostate cancer.

 

The research claims that high doses of vitamin E lead to an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke and internal bleeding in different body organs.  Medical studies recommend that the optimal intake level for vitamin E supplements is around 900 to 100 mg per day. However, certain health concerns including mortality are associated with lower doses than the recommended one. Therefore, it is advised to talk with a professional healthcare provider or a nutritionist before supplementing with vitamin E and monitor the intake and its results.

Interaction with Other Medications

Vitamin E tends to interact with other medications. Therefore, it is important to get advice from your healthcare provider about the supplements you want to take to fulfill the needs of this vitamin. because vitamin E can have the potential to negatively interact with:

• Radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
• Antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications.
• Niacin and simvastatin.

Conclusion

Vitamin E is an essential fat-soluble nutrient and a powerful antioxidant. That is needed for improved immunity and proper cellular signaling throughout your body. Studies have shown that vitamin E consumption on a daily basis can benefit certain people, including individuals having health conditions like NAFLD, heart disease, or diabetic nephropathy. 

Contrary to this, some researchers claim that vitamin E supplements are not a good option because most people can’t get enough vitamin E through their diet. They also suggest that higher consumption of vitamin E can lead to several side effects, including interaction with other medications. So, if you are considering adding a high dose of vitamin E to your diet, talk to your healthcare professional and discuss all health concerns first.