Vitamin E - a strong antioxidant

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Vitamin E is a very strong antioxidant that protects the organic structures of the human body against free oxygen radicals. Free radicals are substances generated by the normal metabolism. Also the exposure to ultraviolet rays or smoking can maximize the quantity of free radicals from the human body. Free radicals attack proteins and the DNA structure causing the appearance of cancer or cardiovascular diseases.
Vitamin E protects the proteins, blood cells, nervous system, retina and muscles.

Vitamin E appearance
It is a soluble vitamin and has 8 different biochemical forms. It can be obtained using chemical artificial methods, but it is better assimilated from natural sources.

Recommendations:
The daily recommended dose of vitamin E varies directly with age, sex and general state of health:

15 milligrams per day for adults
6 milligrams per day for children between one and three years old
7 milligrams per day for children between four and ten years old

Side effects of vitamin E
Usually large doses of Vitamin E inhibit the absorption of Vitamin A. You can also feel tired, with sickly feelings and sometimes diarrhoea. These large quantities of Vitamin E could cause nose bleeding especially when it is administrated with anticoagulant drugs.

Lack of Vitamin E
The deficiency of Vitamin E is very rare and it appears in special conditions: premature baby, Chron’s disease (digestive problems) or metabolic problems.

Vitamin E sources

The best sources for Vitamin E are vegetable fats and oils: wheat grains, sweet potatoes, avocado, walnuts, sunflower, soybean. Small amounts of Vitamin E can be found in eggs and green vegetables.

The benefits of vitamin E
Vitamin E accelerates the cure of burnings, or skin problems. It prevents and slows the appearance of:

cardiovascular diseases because stops the oxidation of „bad” cholesterol (LDL – cholesterol) – the first step in arteriosclerosis
breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer – Vitamin E protects the membrane of healthy cells
macular degeneration and cataract
the Alzheimer disease and the aging process.

According to latest investigations Vitamin E can not prevent the appearance of Alzheimer disease, but slows the process.

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