Vitamin E & Health
This week, we will continue exploring the fat-soluble vitamins by discussing Vitamin E. Unlike Vitamin A and Vitamin D, which play roles in DNA expression, Vitamin E plays its role as an essential antioxidant in fatty tissues.
Ready to learn more? Let’s dig in.
What is Vitamin E?
Like vitamin A and vitamin D, vitamin E comes in several different forms. There are eight naturally occurring forms of vitamin E, but our body prefers only one form 𝛂-tocopherol (alpha-tocopherol). There is some research into the other forms of vitamin E showing a potential for increased antioxidant activity inside our intestines, but these forms do not seem to make it into our blood.
What does Vitamin E do?
When it comes to what vitamin E does in the body, this is pretty simple. However, please do not confuse this simplicity with a lack of importance. Oftentimes, it is the simplest of functions that are the most vital for life.
Antioxidants and Free Radicals:
You have probably heard the terms free radical and antioxidant, but you may not know quite what they mean.
Free radicals:
Free radicals are molecules that damage other molecules. They contain an unpaired electron, making them unstable. In order to become more stable, these molecules must steal an electron from another molecule making them less stable. They are like hungry roving predators looking to take a bite out of other molecules.
Free radicals are produced from the generation of energy from our food, through our breathing, when we detoxify substances through our liver and kidneys, through the function of our immune systems, and other regular bodily functions essential for life. They are also produced from our interactions with our environment including, but not limited to, exposure to:
Radiation
Air Pollution
Cigarette smoke
Industrial chemicals
Ozone
Oxidized fats in supplements or foods
Medications
Poisons
Herbicides
Insecticides
Antioxidants:
Antioxidants stop this damage as they are very stable molecules that can donate an electron to the free radical, making them more stable and ending their destruction. They feed those hungry predators and tame them.
Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and flavonoids are potent and essential antioxidants that we consume from our food, herbs, and supplements. Without them, more damage is done to our bodies simply from the biochemical processes of life.
Oxidative stress:
Our bodies constantly produce free radicals and therefore need a consistent intake of antioxidants. Whenever a body has more free radicals than antioxidants, we enter a state of oxidative stress. This results in damage to tissues and disease.
“Oxidative stress is now thought to make a significant contribution to all inflammatory diseases (arthritis, vasculitis, glomerulonephritis, lupus erythematous, adult respiratory diseases syndrome), ischemic diseases (heart diseases, stroke, intestinal ischema), hemochromatosis, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, emphysema, organ transplantation, gastric ulcers, hypertension and preeclampsia, neurological disorder (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, muscular dystrophy), alcoholism, smoking-related diseases, and many others.” (1)
Vitamin E as an Antioxidant:
Vitamin E, as a fat-soluble vitamin, brings its antioxidant effect to the fats that make up our cell membranes and the fats found within our blood plasma. It is classified as a chain-breaking antioxidant because it stops the damage done by free radicals from snowballing into a larger chain reaction. (2)
The ability of vitamin E to prevent free radical damage in our cell membranes allows our cells to work more efficiently. Stable cell receptors are ready and able to bind to nutrients, hormones, and neurotransmitters allowing our body to function. Intact membranes also physically protect our DNA itself. In our blood, vitamin E protects our hormones (most are fatty molecules), fatty vitamins, cholesterol molecules, and other fat loving molecules from becoming damaged and unable to function.
Image a rusty wall - rust is one visible form of free radical damage we can witness
Disease Prevention:
While we can see the importance of vitamin E for our basic functions, we have yet to demonstrate many measurable effects on disease processes from vitamin E supplementation. We expect to see a significant preventative role for vitamin E; however, the research doesn’t quite bear this out - yet. We have seen small reductions in heart disease and other chronic illnesses through large studies, but not enough evidence to suggest that supplementation of larger doses of vitamin E on its own can prevent disease.
When you consider how vitamin E functions, this makes sense. Vitamin E is only one piece of the antioxidant puzzle, and while it does play an important role in the prevention and repair of damage from inflammation, it doesn’t address the causes of inflammation or free radical production.
Disease Treatment:
Clinical research shows us that vitamin E supplementation is helpful in the treatment of a few disease processes: age-related macular degeneration, fatty liver disease from Type 2 Diabetes, and possibly a slowing of cognitive decline following brain damage. (3)
Where do I Find Vitamin E?
Vitamin E is found most abundantly in nuts and seeds, whole grains, and certain fruits and vegetables. Sunflower seeds and almonds are particularly rich sources of Vitamin E. (3)
Applications
Vitamin E is an important antioxidant for our cellular function and the protection of fats within our bodies. We need it not only to prevent excessive cellular damage from inflammation and normal free radical production, we also need it to heal.
Deficiency:
Severe deficiency is quite rare in North America and is seen only in cases of advanced malnutrition, fat malabsorption diseases, and genetic changes in vitamin E metabolism. This level of deficiency causes ataxia (a movement disorder), peripheral neuropathy (damage to the nerves of the body), muscle weakness, and damage to the retina of the eye. (3)
That being said, 93% of American adults do not ingest the daily recommendation of 15 mg of 𝛂-tocopherol, making the vast majority of the population marginally deficient. (3) The full implications of this are not understood at this time. We do see a correlation between lower vitamin E intake, cancer, and cardiovascular disease in large population studies, but again, we do not see supplementation of vitamin E reversing this association. Perhaps food sources are much more important than supplementation.
Supplementation:
The Linus Pauling Institute recommends all adults to take a multivitamin with at least 30IU of 𝛂-tocopherol. This would pair vitamin C with your vitamin E intake.
Care should be taken with supplementation of vitamin E, and doses should never exceed 1,000IU, especially if you are on blood thinning medications. High levels of vitamin E can interfere with vitamin K’s ability to stop bleeding. Cases of dangerous bleeding have been found in those on blood thinners who supplement high levels of vitamin E. (2)
Food sources:
Since the evidence for the role of vitamin E supplementation isn’t very strong, I’m going to suggest attempting to get your vitamin E from food as much as possible. Two ounces of sunflower seeds or almonds will get you to your 15mg target intake. If you enjoy nut butters, I’m going to suggest making a blend of sunflower and almond butter to enjoy with your spreads. Two ounces of nut butter ends up being about 4 tablespoons.
Vitamin C also plays an important role as an antioxidant. It appears that vitamin C helps vitamin E do its job as well. Perhaps other antioxidant nutrients like flavonoids from plant foods are needed for vitamin E to work most effectively.
Other good food sources include: hazelnuts, olive oil, avocados, tomatoes, spinach, asparagus, chard, and broccoli (a fantastic source of vitamin C).
Remember: a varied, plant-based, whole-food diet is your best route to nutritionally based disease prevention. Also, remember that nutrition is only one aspect of a healthy lifestyle. You cannot eat your way healthy without addressing your sleep, stress levels, reflex of purpose (4), movement, relationships, genetics, and environment.
Image - curly kale - Dark green leafy vegetables are an abundant source of vitamin K
Next Week
Next week, we will finish our exploration of the fat-soluble vitamins with vitamin K.
References:
Lobo, V., Patil, A., Phatak, A., & Chandra, N. (2010). Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health. Pharmacognosy reviews, 4(8), 118–126. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.70902
Institute of Medicine 2006. Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/11537.
Higdon, J, Vitamin E, Linus Pauling Micronutrient Center, 2000, updated 2015, Vitamin E | Linus Pauling Institute | Oregon State University accessed 6/28/2021
Van Der Kolk, B, The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. 2014, Penguin Books, New York, NY
