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Vitamin E

5 MIN READ | March 19, 2024

A complex vitamin that protects the heart and eyes


What is Vitamin E?

Vitamin E mainly functions in the body as an antioxidant, which helps prevent damage caused by free radicals—rogue forms of oxygen that wreak havoc with the fats found in the outer layer, or membrane, of all cells.

As nutrients go, Vitamin E is more complex than most: there are actually eight forms of Vitamin E found naturally in foods, each with a different level of biological activity in the body. However, alpha-tocopherol is the only form that is known to meet the body’s requirement for Vitamin E, and it is the form on which the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is based.


Why is Vitamin E Important?

Vitamin E supports heart health by preventing the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol) by free radicals in the arteries. It also can prevent the oxidation of the fatty portion of the cell membranes in the lens of your eye. Vitamin E also plays a role in immune function.

7.5- 10mg tocopherol/day

Recommended Dietary Allowance


Sources of Vitamin E

  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Wheat Germ Oil
  • Almonds


Show References :

1. Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin E. National Institute of Health.

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-Consumer/



2. Vitamin E. The Nutrition Source, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-e/