Vitamin E – what it is, what it is for, benefits and deficiency!

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that can help reduce free radical damage and slow down the aging process of your cells. and it also helps in scavenging  free radicals that form as a result of normal bodily processes. They cause damage that shortens the life of your cells.

What is Vitamin E?

Vitamin E is a vitamin that dissolves in fat. It is found in many foods, including vegetable oils, cereals, meat, poultry, eggs , fruits, vegetables and wheat germ oil. It is also available as a supplement.

What is vitamin E for?

It is used to treat vitamin E deficiency , which is rare but can occur in people with certain genetic disorders and in very low birth weight preterm infants.

Also, some people use it to treat and prevent diseases of the heart and blood vessels, including hardening of the arteries, heart attack, chest pain, leg pain due to blocked arteries, and high blood pressure . It is also used to treat diabetes and its complications. It is used to prevent cancer, particularly lung and oral cancer in smokers; colorectal cancer and polyps; and gastric, prostate and pancreatic cancer.

Health benefits of vitamin E:

1. Alzheimer’s disease:

Vitamin E can delay the worsening of memory loss in people with moderately severe Alzheimer’s disease It can also delay loss of independence and the need for caregiver assistance in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease .

2. Trata to anemia:

Some research shows that taking vitamin E improves the response to the drug erythropoietin, which affects red blood cell production, in adults and children on hemodialysis. Blood disease (beta-thalassemia). Therefore, taking this vitamin  by mouth appears to benefit children with the blood disorder called beta-thalessemia and deficiency.

3. Dementia:

Research suggests that men who consume vitamin E and vitamin C have a reduced risk of developing various forms of dementia. However, it does not appear to reduce the risk of Alzheimer ‘s dementia .

Symptoms of High Vitamin E:

It is worth mentioning that deficiency is quite rare, and that consuming only the minimum amount counteracts many associated symptoms. People most at risk of vitamin E deficiency include: older adults, premature and/or underweight adults, people with abnormal fat absorption, people on very low-fat diets, and those with any type of malnutrition.

1. Vision problems:

In experimental studies, vitamin E has been shown to “prevent, slow the progression, or improve macular degeneration.” While the scientific justification for such properties is inconclusive, it is clear that it has inherent properties that help protect our vision.

It can be seen, then, that insufficient levels of vitamin E can inhibit the ability to see. This is the result of systemic damage to eye cells caused by free radicals .

2. Loss of muscle mass:

Bodybuilders have been singing about the health benefits of vitamin E for years. It turns out that scientists and researchers are in agreement with our bulkier counterparts.

Specifically, muscle cells have a tendency to tear, requiring a variety of vitamins and nutrients to help with the healing process. Physiologically, vitamin E ensures that the plasma membrane – an essential component of muscle repair – remains intact.

3. Muscle weakness:

Not only can deficient levels of vitamin E result in muscle wasting, but it can also cause the muscles to become fragile. The physiological mechanisms that promote muscle weakness are similar to muscle loss: Vitamin E deficiency allows free radicals to attack the guts of our muscle cells.

4. Too much vitamin E:

Taking large amounts of this vitamin along with cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) can increase the amount of cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) the body absorbs. By increasing the amount of cyclosporine the body absorbs, vitamin E may increase the effects and side effects of cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune).

Some drugs are changed and broken down by the liver . It can increase how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. Taking vitamin E , along with some medications that are broken down by the liver , can decrease the effectiveness of some medications.

Also, talk to your doctor before taking it if you are taking any medicines that are altered by the liver . Some drugs changed by the liver include lovastatin (Mevacor), ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), fexofenadine (Allegra), triazolam (Halcion), and many others.

Side effects:

It is possibly unsafe if taken orally in high doses. If you have an illness, such as heart disease or diabetes, do not take doses of 400 IU/day or more.

Some research suggests that high doses can increase the chance of death and possibly cause other serious side effects. The higher the dose, the greater the risk of serious side effects.

There is some concern that vitamin E may increase the chance of having a serious stroke called a hemorrhagic stroke, which is bleeding into the brain.

Some research shows that taking vitamin E in doses of 300 to 800 IU per day can increase the chance of this type of stroke by 22%. However, in contrast, it can decrease the chance of having a less serious stroke called ischemic stroke.

Pregnancy: When used in the recommended daily amount, it is possibly safe for pregnant women. There has been some concern that taking vitamin E supplements could be harmful to an unborn baby when taken in early pregnancy.

However, it’s too early to know if this is a major concern. Until more is known, do not take vitamin E supplements during early pregnancy without talking to your doctor.