Community Health Informer

A good supply of Vitamin E in your body can have a number of beneficial effects that every cell. The antioxidant properties of Vitamin E are its greatest feature. Free radical oxygen molecules can attach themselves to open bond slots in other molecules and diminish their ability to perform their functions. They are also known to cause damage to cell walls and can, in great enough numbers, cause premature aging and the increased possibility of cancer.

In the lungs, Vitamin E can absorb many polluting substances and more safely remove them from the body. This same action works in the stomach as well. Many processed foods contain chemicals that can damage the body and Vitamin E will help neutralize and remove many of them. Such hazardous compounds as bovine growth hormones in beef and the pesticide residue from fruits and vegetables can be cleansed from the stomach and bowels through the antioxidant and absorptive properties of Vitamin E.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps keep out the free radicals and prevent them from being stored in the body’s fat reserves. Vitamin E works best when it is partnered with Vitamin C. The C Vitamin can actually “regenerate” Vitamin E and allows it to neutralize more of the harmful oxygen radicals. Vitamin E aids in the function of insulin and is a very important element in the diabetic diet.

Vitamin E can be found in a variety of foods. Being fat-soluble, Vitamin E can be found in the oils from corn, cottonseed, wheat germ and soybean oils. Various nuts and seeds contain high concentrations of Vitamin E. Almonds and peanuts as well as Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds can provide an abundant amount. Basically any nut that can be pressed for oil will contain high levels of Vitamin E. While whole grains, fruits and vegetables contain some Vitamin E it should be remembered that heat destroys these vitamins and overcooking will render them useless for vitamin acquisition.

With the abundance of sources for this healthy nutrient, Vitamin E deficiency is not common in the United States. While an overdose can cause problems, the volume required for toxicity is very high and rarely seen.