| Vitamin E (tocopherol) | |||||
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Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin which is an amazing antioxidant.
Since vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, it works well as an antioxidant as it is able to get into the cells membranes (which are mostly made from fat) and stop any free radicals that try to get through and prevent oxidative damage to the cells. Vitamin E is also able to protect the DNA inside cells from oxidative damage and possible mutation by free radicals (which can result in cancer).
Being a fat soluble vitamin means that any excess of vitamin E consumed is stored in the liver. In addition to this, in order to absorb the vitamin E from food consumed, it should have lipid (fat) in it.
Vitamin E is divided into the following families of chemicals:
- Tocopherols - the main one which is the more active form, with the alpha, beta, gamma and delta types and are very effective at preventing damage to cells from free radicals
- Tocotrienols - the less active form, with the alpha, beta, gamma and delta types, may assist with lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels
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- Vitamin E is one of the antioxidants used by the body to prevent free radical damage
- Vitamin A deficiency occurs when there is fat malabsorption in the body
- Alpha-tocopherol is the only form of vitamin E which is actively maintained in the body and is the form which mainly exists in the blood and body tissues
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Vitamin E is required to prevent a whole range of illnesses and diseases:
- Heart health - several large studies have shown that increased levels of vitamin E is associated with lowered incidence of heart attack (myocardial infarction) and also lowered incidence of death from heart disease in both men and women
- Cataracts - several studies have looked at the the association between low vitamin E levels and cataracts and determined that cataracts could be caused by low vitamin E consumption; cataracts are formed by the oxidation of proteins in the lens of the eye, which vitamin E prevents through its antioxidative actions
- Immunity - vitamin E enhances aspects of the immune response which appear to decrease as people age
- Cancer - many types of cancer are thought to result from oxidative damage to DNA, which vitamin E, through its activit as a potent antioxidant, prevents
references
- Diaz MN, Frei B, Vita JA, Keaney JF. Antioxidants and atherosclerotic heart disease. N Engl J Med. 1997;337(16):408-416
- Esterbauer H, Dieber-Rotheneder M, Striegl G, Waeg G. Role of vitamin E in preventing the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1991, Vol 53, 314S-321S
- Meagher EA, et al. Effects of Vitamin E on Lipid Peroxidation in Healthy Persons.
- Rimm EB, etl. Vitamin E Consumption and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Men. NEJM, 1993. Volume 328 (20):1450-1456
- Osiecki, Henry, The Nutrient Bible 2002, BioConcepts Publishing
- Brigelius-Flohé R, Kelly FJ, Salonen JT, Neuzil J, Zingg J-M, Azzi A. The European perspective on vitamin E: current knowledge and future research. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 76, No. 4, 703-716, October 2002
- Yusuf S, Dagenais G, Pogue J, Sleight P. Vitamin E supplementation and cardiovascular events in high-risk patients. The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation Study Investigators. N Engl J Med. 2000 Jan 20;342(3):154-60
- Zhang D, et al. Vitamin E Inhibits Apoptosis, DNA Modification, and Cancer Incidence Induced by Iron-mediated Peroxidation in Wistar Rat Kidney. Cancer Research 57, 2410-2414, June 15, 1997
To learn more, go to the following web sites:
- Food Standards Australia and New Zealand
- Dieticians Association of Australia
- Nutrient Reference Values (Australia)
