Introduction to Vitamin E Supplements
You all probably hear about Vitamin this and Vitamin that all the time from news sources, the ads on the TV. The cereal box that says they added it to the cereal. You know that they are good for you, but do you know what they actually do? Well in this article we’ll find out at least what one of them does, and that one is Vitamin E.
Benefits of Vitamin E
Each vitamin is going to have a number of benefits, but one main benefit that will be why you take it. For instance Vitamin E has it’s antioxidant properties that it’s well known for. But it can do more than that.
Antioxidant
Vitamin E’s antioxidant abilities are pretty strong. Antioxidants protect healthy body tissues from something called a Free Radical. A molecule that is missing an electron, making it unstable, bouncing around and damaging the healthy cells around it.
Free radicals are responsible for ailments like tumors, cancers, and other things if left unchecked. An antioxidant is going to attack this free radical and take it out, protecting the healthy cells around it.
For this reason Vitamin E is good for the eyes, because it protects the healthy eye tissue from these free radicals. Left unchecked, the free radicals could damage your retinas and your vision. Sometimes becoming unrepairable without surgery.
Inflammation
Vitamin E is also good at dealing with inflammation. If you’ve ever had a problem with inflammation, then you know how hard it can be to get it to go away. With Vitamin E it might just fix you problem.
Nothings a guaranteed fix, and if someone says that then they’re lying. However, we know that Vitamin E helps relieve inflammation by decreasing C-reactive protein (CRP), and inhibiting the release of proinflammatory cytokines. It may not be the whole solution, but it will bring some relief.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s is something that is painful to watch happen to a loved one, and is sometimes hard to know how or if you can stop it. While the cure for Alzheimer’s has not been found yet, there are ways to slow it down. Vitamin E being one of them.
In a test, half of the Patients with Alzheimer’s were given Vitamin E, and the other half were given a placebo. The Vitamin E group showed much slower progression of the disease than the placebo group, however it did not cure it.
PMS Symptoms
If you experience heavy periods, or painful cramps then Vitamin E might be something you want to check out. Studies show that when taken for 2 days before your period, and for 3 days after, it could reduce pain of cramps, and blood loss during your period.
Furthermore, it could help reduce anxiety, cravings, and depression associated with PMS. It’s worth noting that if you have anxiety or depression outside of PMS it will probably not have an effect.
Periods are something that are very uncomfortable to say the least. Perhaps trying a Vitamin E supplement make them even just a little more bearable.
Male Fertility
There needs to be more research, but studies have shown that there is a slight improvement in fertility among men when taking Vitamin E. It’s been shown to improve reproductive health, but whether women would receive any benefit from Vitamin E for this purpose is unclear.
Vitamin E Dosage
Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning that it dissolves in fat. Other vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin B are water soluble and are more easily excreted when there is an excess. However because E is stored in fat, and fat is much harder to get rid of, your body cannot effectively excrete any excess if you take too much.
It’s recommended for adults to take doses of 15mg per day to stay within the healthy limit. Because Vitamin E helps thin your blood, taking an excess can carry the risk of heavy bleeding if you take too much.
Vitamin E Side Effects
Some side effects for Vitamin E include nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, weakness, intestinal cramps, and rash. However, it’s worth noting that as long as you don’t take too much, these side effects should not affect you at all.
There has been as study where it was believed that it had a correlation with increasing the chances for prostate cancer. However more information is needed.
Signs of Vitamin E Deficiency
If you’re deficient in vitamin E then it could mean some serious health complications. Here are some signs to look out for if your E deficient. Make sure by always go get a blood test for definitive results.
- Damage to retinas (macular degeneration)
- Peripheral Neuropathy (damage to peripheral nerves, usually hand and feet causing pain)
- Ataxia (loss of control of body movements)
- Decreased Immune Function
Conclusion
In conclusion, Vitamin E is a very vital nutrient to have in our bodies. If you think you could use a vitamin E supplement, make sure not to take too much and that you don’t already get a lot in your diet. However if you would like one, here are some suggestions for high quality Vitamin E supplements!