The Benefits of Vitamin E Are Important, But Be Careful!
Benefits of Vitamin E Vitamin E is an essential fat soluble vitamin and a powerful antioxidant which helps to protect tissues from the effects of free radicals, which are associated with aging. It is also important for the formation of red blood cells, improves circulation and helps the body utilize Vitamin K. There are many benefits of vitamin E, when it is obtained by eating a nutritious diet. Even so, it is often quoted as helping to prevent cancer, stroke, heart disease, dementia and liver disease, but none of this has been proven to be true so far. Sources of Vitamin E The best way to get the right amount of Vitamin E is to eat a well-balanced diet. Vitamin E can be found in many foods, such as corn, nuts, seeds, asparagus, olives, wheat germ, most vegetable oils, spinach and other green and leafy vegetables. Margarine made from vegetable oil also contains vitamin E. The usual daily recommended intake depends on age, gender and other factors like pregnancy. The range is from 4mg/day for infants up to 15mg/day for adults. Isolated Vitamin E Deficiency is very rare and would only occur in people who are severely malnourished. The effects would be in the form of general tissue breakdown, decreased red cell formation and potential clotting abnormalities; although, most likely, these effects would be overshadowed by other effects of severe general malnutrition. Vitamin E Supplementation The amount of Vitamin E that we get in foods that we eat, or that is present in a regular multivitamin tablet, is all that we need to assure that a)we have adequate amounts of the vitamin, and b)that the benefits of vitamin E remain benefits and not risks. A few years ago, several studies were done to evaluate the effectiveness of taking additional vitamin E supplementation. Researchers found that, not only didn't it help, but it actually increased the risk of death in those individuals who were taking the supplements. The American Heart Association now advises not to take any more vitamin E than is what is present in a multivitamin. 400 I.U. a day or more can be harmful. This is one of those things where, several years ago, a lot of people thought that they were doing the right thing by taking 1000 units of Vitamin E every day. After all, it's "natural", and it's an anti-oxidant, right? Anti-oxidants are supposed to be good for you. More should be better, right? Wrong! When true, scientifically controlled, randomized studies were done to check the theories, they were found to be very incorrect.
Soapbox I think this is a lesson about all the vitamins and other supplements that we take excesses of every day. If we are eating a well-balanced diet, and if we are healthy otherwise, there is no reason to tempt fate and try to make it better by doing things that we don't really know about. A supplement may not seem to cause any side effects while we are taking them now, but often, we don't know what the effects will be 10 years from now. If you are truly deficient in something, then take a supplement, but don't take excesses of anything just because it "might be good" for this or that, unless it is highly recommended by your doctor who has knowledge of the multiple studies that have been done to prove or disprove theories about certain supplements. Remember that many of the things that are out there for us to consume have not been tested or proven to do what they say they are supposed to do. Just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it's safe. Poison ivy and snake venom are "natural" too. From Benefits of Vitamin E to Nutrition Guide
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