Vitamin E is another fat soluble vitamin which is now famous for its antioxidant properties. Like other fat soluble members, absorption of vitamin E requires adequate absorption of dietary fat. Vitamin E is stored mainly in adipose tissue, while some is stored in the muscle. The remaining is found in cell membranes in tissues.
What it does to your body:
The function of vitamin E includes the following
- Vitamin E aids the formation and functioning of body’s red blood cells, muscles, other tissues, and protects essential fatty acids ( special fats that are needed by the body ).
- Maintains a healthy reproductive system and nerves. In fact the link between vitamin E deficiency and reproductive failure in rats was first discovered in 1922 by Herbert Evans and Katherine Scott Bishop. The chemical name of vitamin E, tocopherol is derived from “toco” meaning “related to childbirth”.
- Vitamin E is an antioxidant and one of the body’s primary defenders against oxidative damage caused by free radicals.
- Tocopherols, an important source of vitamin E have two sterling characters; They are anticoagulants and antioxidants that reduce blood’s ability to clot, thus reducing the risk of clot related stroke and heart attack.
- The benefit of taking vitamin E through foods rich in this overally keeps your body away from aging.
Foods rich in vitamin E
The best foods high in vitamin E are
Green leafy vegetables
Vegetable oils
Margarine
Nuts and seeds
Whole grain cereals
Peanut butter
Vitamin E deficiency
Due to widespread use of vegetable oils, primary deficiency of this vitamin is rare.Most deficiencies occur in people with fat malabsorption syndrome.
Extreme case of this deficiency wasting of the muscles and neurological disorder.
Smokers and adults on a very low fat diet increase the risk of developing vitamin E deficiency.
Infants are particularly susceptible to its deficiencycausing hemolytic anemia ( Anemia caused by the destruction of red blood cells ). Being born with limited stores of vitamin E, which are exhausted by rapid growth, and they are inefficient in absorbing it from intestine. Without vit E to protect against oxidation, the destruction of cell membranes cause red blood cells ( RBC ) to burst. To prevent hemolytic anemia, special formulas and supplements containing vit E are prescribed.
Vitamin E toxicity:
Though the toxicity of vit E is not as much as vit A and K, large doses of vit E can counter the action of vit K and decrease the production of vit K dependent clotting factors, thus promoting serious hemorrhaging effects in adults. People who are vitamin K deficient or taking anti coagulant medications such as warfarin or aspirin are especially at risk from overdoses of vitamin E.