Benefits of Vitamin E

Do you know the benefits of vitamin E?

Before we get to that, what is vitamin E? You’re probably thinking, duh, it’s a vitamin. Actually, vitamin E is a family of 8 antioxidant compounds.

The eight compounds are:

• alpha-tocopherol

• alpha-tocotrienol

• beta-tocopherol

• beta-tocotrienol

• gamma-tocopherol

• gamma-tocotrienol

• delta-tocopherol

• delta-tocotrienol

I'm not going to explain these. I just wanted you to know the names, because it will be important when looking for a vitamin E supplement.

Okay, why do you need vitamin E? It prevents cell damage by stopping oxidation of fats and the formation of free radicals.

It also protects low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol) from oxidation. Oxidized LDL develops cardiovascular disease and clotting.

Foods High in Vitamin E

You can get a good amount of vitamin E with a balanced diet.

• sunflower seeds

• almonds

• olives

• papaya

• mustard greens

Put sliced almonds on a salad or oatmeal.

Vitamin E Health Risks

If you’re taking blood thinning meds, suffer from diabetes, rheumatic heart disease, or an overactive thyroid, don’t take more than 133mg daily. And if you have high blood pressure, start with a lower dosage.

Vitamin E in a Supplement

Remember those eight compounds listed above? Well, the d-alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E is the most potent. The synthetic form costs half as much, but has significantly less potency.

Read the label closely and make sure it says---

d-alpha-tocopherol, rrr-alpha-tocopherol, d-alpha-tocopherol-acetate, or d-alpha-tocopherol-succinate

Some supplement manufacturers mix 10 percent natural and 90 percent synthetic and label the product natural. So be careful.