Vitamin E is a fat-soluble body that serves as an antioxidant and protects cells from the harmful and damaging effects of free radicals; this function is perhaps the most important of the many vitamin E benefits.
Free radicals can damage not only the cell membrane but the cell metabolism in general.
Some of the food sources of vitamin E are fortified cereals, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashew nuts, vegetable oils, and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and Swiss chards.
Vitamin E RDA
Recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines recommend that the daily intake of vitamin E of a person should be met primarily through food sources. However, most individuals require certain supplements in order to get a sufficient amount of vitamin E. These supplements normally contain 400 IU to 800 IU. Adults are advised by the Institute of Medicine to have a daily consumption of 1500 IU of vitamin E.
The Recommended Dietary Intake for Vitamin E is as follows:
|
AGE |
FEMALES (mg/day); IU/day |
MALES (mg/day); IU/day |
| Infants 0-6 months | 4 mg (6 IU) | 4 mg (6 IU) |
| Infants 7-12 months | 5 mg (7.5 IU) | 5 mg (7.5 IU) |
| 1 to 3 years | 6 mg (9 IU) | 6 mg (9 IU) |
| 4 to 8 years | 7 mg (10.5 IU) | 7 mg (10.5 IU) |
| 9 to 13 years | 11 mg (16.5 IU) | 11 mg (16.5 IU) |
| 14 to 18 years | 15 mg (22.5 IU) | 15 mg (22.5 IU) |
| 19 years and older | 15 mg (22.5 IU) | 15 mg (22.5 IU) |
| Pregnant | 15 mg (22.5 IU) | – |
| Lactating | 19 mg (28.5 IU) | – |
Vitamin E Benefits
Several scientific studies are suggesting the supplements of vitamin E offer numerous health benefits that include aiding in reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Johns Hopkins University conducted a study that was published in the Journal of Archives of Neurology in 2004, found that 4,740 of both men and women who are 65 years and above and are having a daily consumption of 400-1000 IU of Vitamin E and 500-1500 mg of vitamin C have reduced risk and prevalence of Alzheimer disease. Other health benefits of Vitamins E and C are that they are linked with maintaining the health of brain cells. A John Hopkins meta-analysis found in November 2004 older patients, who are about 47-84 years of age, with existing conditions such as kidney disease, Parkinson’s disease, and heart disease, who have a daily consumption of more than 400 IUs of vitamin E had an increased risk of all-cause mortality. However, the study concluded that “high dosage vitamin E trials were often performed in patients with various chronic diseases, and we could not evaluate the generalizability of our findings to healthy adult populations.” Other Vitamin E benefits include their use in acne prevention and skin care.
What is Vitamin E?
Vitamin E is primarily a family of eight antioxidants, which are four tocotrienols (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-) and four tocopherols (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-). Because of this, vitamin E is widely used for its antioxidant health benefits and is included in every dietary supplement, as well as in numerous skin and anti-aging products. Dietary sources of vitamin E include green leafy vegetables such as endive, artichokes, cauliflower, spinach, kale, and lettuce; nuts; beans; and fishes such as sardines and rockfish (full list here).
Vitamin E References and Further Reading
Office of Dietary Supplements; Pubmed; Harvard University; Oregon State University.