What is vitamin E?
Vitamin E is a fat-rich vitamin. That is to say, it is part of the group of essential nutrients soluble in fats. The body cannot synthesize this molecule so it must be incorporated through food.
Vitamin E is essential for a correct hormonal balance. One of its benefits is to act as an antioxidant, stimulate the immune system and improve skin health. Including foods with vitamin E in the diet is enough to cover the recommended amount per day.
Vitamin C and E are considered the vitamins with the highest antioxidant power. Vitamin E is used both in anti-aging creams, as in ointments for stretch marks and sunscreen lotions.
Vitamin E – Health Benefits
One of the benefits of vitamin E is the ability to protect the body against aging processes. Thanks to this micronutrient, the cells of the body tissue can be more resistant to external aggressions. In addition, it has been proven that it is capable of increasing the effectiveness of the immune system and has an anti-inflammatory function. The benefits of vitamin E are:
1. Reduce aging processes
Of the benefits attributed to vitamin E, its antioxidant effect stands out. In other words, the ability to protect our body against free radicals. Ultimately it reduces the effects of aging processes. (1)
2 control sugar levels
Some studies link the recommended amount of vitamin E with better regulation of blood sugar levels . This is essential for people who suffer from diabetes or those who have a tendency and wish to prevent it.
3.Participates in hormonal regulation
Vitamin E is directly involved in the synthesis of sex hormones. Ultimately, its consumption is closely related to reproductive health. Lack of this micronutrient is a cause of low testosterone in men and an imbalance of estrogen levels in women.
4. Regulate body weight
Vitamin E is not fattening. However, foods with vitamin E are usually high in fat. If there is an excess in these types of foods, long-term weight gain is likely to occur.
5. Stimulate the immune system
Vitamin E stimulates the immune system. For this reason, one of its benefits is to prevent degenerative diseases such as Alzeihmer.
6. Improve the cardiovascular system
Regular consumption of this micro-tanning agent is associated with better blood cholesterol levels and an improvement and normalization of the heart rate. (5)
7. Reduce menopausal hot flashes
Vitamin E supplements have shown positive results in reducing the frequency of hot flashes during menopause. Just as a drop in cortisol levels has been recorded at this stage of life. (2)
Effects of vitamin E on metabolism
First of all, it should be understood that too much vitamin E can wreak havoc on your metabolism. The impact of supplementation of this micronutrient has yielded ambiguous results. (3) (4)
Some research claims that taking vitamin E in capsules increases the risk of developing prostate cancer. (3) Taking multivitamins should always be done under the supervision of a doctor. In no case should you take vitamin E of your own accord.
Recommended amount of vitamin E per day
The recommended amount of vitamin E in adults is about 7-15 mg per day. The equivalent of 30 mL of sunflower oil or 100 mL of olive oil . For athletes, the need for this micronutrient increases to 17-20 mg per day. In particular when doing high intensity sports and aerobic exercises in altitude or extreme conditions.
Recommended amount of vitamin E per day – Table
| Babies up to 6 months of age | 4 mg (6 UI) |
| Babies 7 to 12 months of age | 5 mg (7.5 UI) |
| Children 1 to 3 years of age | 6 mg (9 UI) |
| Children 4-8 years old | 7 mg (10.4 UI) |
| Children 9-13 years of age | 11 mg (16.4 UI) |
| Adolescents 14 to 18 years of age | 15 mg (22.4 UI) |
| Adults | 15 mg (22.4 UI) |
| Pregnant women and adolescents | 15 mg (22.4 UI) |
| Breastfeeding women and adolescents | 19 mg (28.4 UI) |
Table of recommended amount of vitamin E. Source
An excess of vitamin E causes serious health problems
Fat-soluble vitamins can build up in the body and cause poisoning. Eating up to 200 mg of this micronutrient per day is considered safe. A dose of 1000 mg or more can cause serious health problems. The symptoms of hypervitaminosis E are:
- Bleeds
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Double vision
- Muscular weakness
Alimentos with vitamin E
The foods that most contain vitamin E are: sunflower seeds, nuts and some types of fish, green leaves (spinach, broccoli), oils, avocado. Foods with vitamin E are listed in the following table:
| Alimentos with vitamin E | Portion size | %, Daily dose |
| Sunflower seeds | 1/4 cup | 82% |
| Almonds | 1/4 cup | 40% |
| Spinach | 1 cup | 25% |
| Avocado | 1 cup | 21% |
| Peanut | 1/4 cup | 20% |
| Goji berries | 50 g | 17% |
| Asparagus | 1 cup | 18% |
| Prawns | 100 g | 17% |
| Broccoli | 1 cup | 15% |
| Olive oil | 1 TBS | 13% |
| Red pepper or bell pepper | 1 cup | 10% |
| Tomato | 1 cup | 6% |
Oils with vitamin E – the problem
Vitamin E withstands temperatures of up to 170 ° C. However, it can be slowly degraded by the action of the sun and air. It is believed that some oils such as olive can lose up to 20-30% of their vitamin E content in a few weeks.
To obtain the benefits of vitamin E, the oils must be stored in dark glass containers protected against UV rays. It is also recommended that it be stored in a cool and dry place. In addition, it should be taken into account that when frying and bringing the oil to high temperatures (> 180 ° C), up to 50% of this macronutrient can be destroyed in a matter of 30 minutes.
ABSTRACT
- Vitamin E is a fat soluble micronutrient essential for our body.
- The benefits of vitamin E are: antioxidant effect, stimulates the immune system, improves the cardiovascular system.
- Foods with vitamin E are those that have high concentrations of healthy fats : sunflower seeds, vegetable oils, spinach leaves, avocado , olives, among others.
- When consuming foods with vitamin E, it is best not to take them to temperatures higher than 170 degrees. This micronutrient degrades at high temperatures.
