One of nature’s best anti-oxidants, vitamin E, has been always had an excellent reputation in the nutrition world. Research has confirmed its power to protect the cells of the body from damage by free radicals, making it a key component in preventing the diseases associated with aging.
What are free radicals?
You hear this term a lot but all you really need to know is that they are not good and they can cause you many problems, from small sickness to fatal cancer. Free radicals oxidize cells causing these problems. This is why anti-oxidants are SO important. They fight the free radicals and promote healthy cell growth and regeneration. Vitamin E acts as a shield to your cells by embedding themselves in the cell membrane. Because vitamin E has many functions, it protects virtually every part of our bodies – blood vessels, heart, eyes, brain, nerves, kidneys, skin and immune system.
Here are some stats that show how high blood levels of vitamin E could benefit you:
- 18% less likely to die from any cause
- 19% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease
- 21% less likely to die of cancer
- 42% less likely to die of lung disease
Taking supplemental vitamin E also provides benefits such as helping to reduce infection, decrease the risk of heart attack in women age 65 or older, and lessen the risk of Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Here are a few ways that Vitamin E specifically reduces the signs of aging:
- Keeps your skin healthy. Research has shown that alpha-tocopherol (a form of vitamin E) plays the most important role of all the antioxidants in preventing sun damage to your skin. Did you know that topical vitamin E can act as a sunscreen? It can also protect the immune defence of the skin to help protect against skin cancer, delay aging in skin and sometimes even reverse damage that has already been done.
- Keeps your mind sharp. Neurological problems has long been a sign of vitamin E deficiency. That is because nerve cells are wrapped in a protective, fatty sheath, rich in vitamin E, which degenerates when vitamin E is low. Vitamin E shows promise against a number of diseases that affect nerves and the brain including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. Some current research has shown that Alzheimer’s patients taking 2000 IU’s a day of vitamin E delayed the progression of the disease. Research also shows that diets high in the vitamin can slow cognitive decline.
- Helps to fight infection. As we age, our immune system ages with us and starts to lose some of its potency making us more likely to get sick. Vitamin E can boost your immune system’s response to invasive organisms.
- Helps protect your heart by:
- Preventing blood platelets from sticking together (which is a big factor in blood clotting)
- It stops oxidation (break down) of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), which is a factor in the hardening of the arteries
- Lowers blood pressure by promoting production of blood vessel-relaxing nitric oxide
- Inhibits cholesterol production in the liver
Studies show that people whose diets are high in vitamin E reduce their risk for heart disease by about 30-50% compared to people getting low amounts.
So, by now you can see that vitamin E is crucial to a healthy youthful body. Here are some food sources that are rich in the vitamin:
- Canola oil
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Whole grains
- Dark, leafy greens
The recommendation for vitamin E for adults is 15 mg/day and most people do not get NEARLY enough.
You’ve just discovered the fountain of youth! Start eating those healthy foods and ask your doctor if a supplement is right for you!
Keep Well…Kristy
