Vitamin E
Vitamin C, vitamin E is America's popular vitamin supplement. It is popularity seems well deserved, as studies suggest that this nutrient plays a vital role in the prevention of aging-related degenerative diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Vitamin E plays another important role in the body. If we all took adequate vitamin E supplements, we could reduce our health-care costs.
Functions and Vitamin E's Antioxidant Powers
Studies indicate that vitamin E may poor the aging process and prevent premature aging by prolonging the useful life of our cells, so maintaining the function of our organs. Such it has been shown mat the red blood cells of healthy man who receive vitamin E supplements age far less than do the red blood cells of those who receive no supplements. Human cells grown in a medium enriched with extra amounts of vitamin E divided, lived much longer than did cells grown in ordinary culture mediums.
True for the cells in these experiments may hold true for other cells of the body, as vitamin E is utilized by practically all of yours tissues. The bulk of it's stored in the muscles, fat tissue, but the highest concentrations are found in the pituitary gland, adrenal gland, testes. An animal study, vitamin E deficiency has been implicated in widely diverse conditions, including cataracts, muscular and neuromuscular disease, the weakening of the cells of the lungs, liver, heart, and blood. Some studies, a deficiency of this nutrient also caused testicular degeneration, sterility in animals-a fact that resulted in vitamin E's reputed powers to improve your sex life.
Cancer
Over fifty one human studies have been conducted on the role of vitamins in the prevention of cancer. This study showed that vitamin E appears to protect our from lung, esophageal, colorectal cancer, and possibly from cancer of the cervix and breast. An animal study indicates that the vitamin may protect against additional cancer, too. When vitamin E was given to animals that were exposed to potent carcinogens, it was found that the supplement reduced the incidence of cancer of the skin, mouth, colon, breast. Topically vitamin E has been shown to protect the skin of animals against free radical damage caused by ultraviolet light.
Indicates that vitamin E is also useful in the treatment of existing cancers. An animal study, vitamin E has enhanced the ability of radiation treatments to shrink implanted cancerous tumors. In the study, when vitamin E was given to cancer patients, the supplement appeared to protect normal cells from the damaging effects of chemotherapy drugs without protecting the cancer cells. So, it reduced some of the drugs' side effects without reducing their effectiveness.
Cardiovascular Disease
Studies examining the effects of vitamin E on circulation remain inconclusive, conflicting, this research has nevertheless yielded tantalizing results. This study aside, practitioners, myself included, have found that vitamin E does improve blood flow to the extremities. Few practitioners have reported positive results in treating circulatory problems such as angina, arteriosclerosis, thrombophlebitis. Others have reported that supplementation helps relieve intermittent claudication-leg weakness, pain caused by slow circulation. This condition is often found in the elderly, is usually treated with drugs that thin the blood and widen the blood vessels to encourage normal blood flow. Vitamin E appears to relieve the condition through the same mechanisms, without the accompanying side effects.
Few data indicate that vitamin E has the ability to increase the level of high-density lipoproteins in men and women with initially low levels of this substance. HDL is a substance recently discovered to be very protective against heart disease. Few studies have also shown that vitamin E lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. In another studies, it was suggested that vitamin E plays an important role in the metabolism of fats in the arterial wall.
This study has strengthened the conviction of physicians who believe that there is ample evidence supporting the use of vitamin E supplements in the prevention of heart disease. Many physicians are still reluctant to recommend supplementation to the general public, even though a growing number of practitioners are supplementing their own diets with vitamin E. There have been numerous editorials concerning this dichotomy.
In another study concerning coronary disease also showed the benefits of vitamin E supplementation. Vitamin E supplementation was found to minimize the tendency of blood platelets to stick together in women taking oral contraceptives. This was an important finding, since stroke, which can result from platelet aggregation, is a disturbing side effect of taking the pill.
Supplements
Vitamin E actually consists of eight substances, of which alpha, beta, delta, and gamma-tocopherol are active. There are natural, synthetic forms of all the tocopherols. Vitamin E supplements often contain alpha-tocopherols alone, reason that has been shown to be the most active form. Many nutritionists recommend that you buy your tocopherols mixed, since that is how they exist in food.
Vitamin E succinate is a synthetic vitamin that comes in a dry, oil-free powder. As it is the water miscible form of vitamin E, it can be tolerated by man who have a problem with fat malabsorption. One milligram is equal to approximately 1.5 international units.
