Vitamin E is a nutrient that tends to fly under the radar. Other ones like vitamin D, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, and even vitamin K steal the spotlight, but it’s time that this super-vitamin gets some love.Often thought of as a single nutrient, vitamin E is a group of eight fat-soluble compounds that are inherently powerful antioxidants. But reducing free radical formation and oxidative stress isn’t the only role this vitamin plays.If you’re not super familiar with vitamin E, don’t sweat it—you’re not alone. This article is giving you the scoop on everything you need to know about the tocopherol family: what it is, why you need it, and where you can find it.
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What Is Vitamin E And Why Do You Need It?
As we mentioned, vitamin E isn’t actually a single vitamin. Rather, it’s a group of eight fat-soluble compounds—they consist of four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta) and four tocotrienols.
Alpha-tocopherol is the most well-known and biologically active form, and the preferred form transported and utilized by the liver; gamma-tocopherol, however, is the most abundant tocopherol in the diet 1. As far as supplements go, not many people choose to supplement with vitamin E, as it’s widely distributed in food sources and usually obtained in sufficient amounts through diet.
It’s found in relatively high concentrations in:
- Wheat germ oil
- Sunflower seeds
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Mamey sapote fruit
- Peanuts
- Avocados
- Salmon/trout
- Mango
- Turnip greens (raw)
- Immune health
- Battling inflammation
- Cardiovascular health
- Skin health
- Cognitive function
- Wound healing
Of all of its functions, its power truly lies as an antioxidant. But one of the unique things about vitamin E is that it forms a power duo with another antioxidant, vitamin C.
In the process of neutralizing free radicals, vitamin E itself becomes a free radical via a redox reaction. In its oxidized form, vitamin E can no longer act as an antioxidant.
However, vitamin C can regenerate vitamin E back to its reduced form, thereby allowing it to continue acting as an antioxidant 2. Because of this role, getting enough vitamin C is just as critical as getting enough vitamin E if you’re looking for its free radical protective properties.
Benefits Of Vitamin E
Antioxidant
Free radicals are a by-product of everyday function. Whether through exercise or normal metabolism, they’re generated during metabolic processes. And under normal circumstances, your body has an antioxidant defense system to combat them.
However, if your antioxidant status is low, free radicals can accumulate and when they get to a point where generation exceeds the capacity of your body to fight them, a condition called oxidative stress develops. This can then lead to cell damage and an increased risk of disease 3.Either alone or combined with vitamin C, vitamin E’s powerful antioxidant properties can help reduce free radicals, reduce markers of oxidative stress, and potentially boost the body’s antioxidant defenses 4.
A 2021 study found that combining vitamin E and C supplementation daily for 8 weeks can reduce various markers of oxidative stress in women with endometriosis 5.
Cardiovascular health
Although several factors contribute to poor cardiovascular health and an increased risk of CVD, blood pressure and blood lipids are two biggies.
High blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) are positively associated with an increased risk of heart disease, but studies have found that vitamin E may help reduce that risk in certain populations 6.A 2019 systematic review found that vitamin E supplementation can reduce systolic blood pressure, while other studies show that vitamin E, in combination with omega-3 fatty acids, can reduce levels of LDL cholesterol in people with metabolic syndrome 7, 8.Other studies show that alpha-tocopherol—especially when taken in high doses—may be beneficial for reducing the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, and inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) 9.
Menstrual pain
For women dealing with painful periods and cramps, an extra dose of vitamin E may be just what you need. Research shows promise with vitamin E for helping reduce pain in women with dysmenorrhea, or painful periods.A 2018 study of 100 women struggling with dysmenorrhea supplementing 200 IU of vitamin E daily found that it helped to relieve menstrual pain to a greater extent than the placebo 10.
And when combined with an omega-3 supplement (180mg of EPA and 120mg of DHA), it elicited a greater effect. Other studies have found similar results 11, 12.
Skin health
There’s not a ton of research supporting the efficacy of vitamin E for skin health. Regardless, it has been used in dermatology for over 50 years because it protects the skin from solar radiation through its free-radical scavenging properties 13.
There may be potential for vitamin E with several conditions such as atopic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, and melasma 14.
Brain function
Research isn’t wholly conclusive, but vitamin E’s powerful antioxidant properties could help maintain brain health throughout aging.
As the brain is composed largely of fat, it’s highly susceptible to oxidative stress, which is a major contributing factor in neurodegeneration. But studies have shown that high plasma vitamin E levels are linked to better cognitive performance 15.
Signs And Symptoms Of A Vitamin E Deficiency
Although vitamin E is widely available in many food sources, it’s estimated that over 90% of Americans don’t consume enough vitamin E daily.
Low intake of vitamin E (α-tocopherol) means that tissue α-tocopherol needs exceed what’s available, which can lead to an increased risk of target tissue damage16.Insufficient dietary intake is the primary cause of vitamin E deficiency, but it can also be caused by any fat malabsorption disorder—vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin—as well as genetic defects in the α-tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP). If you think might be low in vitamin E, watch out for these symptoms:
- Poor muscle coordination
- Retinopathy
- Peripheral neuropathy (damage to peripheral nerves causing weakness or pain in the hands and feet)
- Poor immune function
If the vitamin E deficiency is severe, it can result in ataxia (progressive neurologic disorder), muscle degeneration, cardiomyopathy, and hemolytic anemia 16.
Keep in mind that a vitamin E deficiency, even slightly, doesn’t come with obvious signs or symptoms, and many of the signs of a deficiency arise with a severe deficiency.
To prevent health complications, ensure you’re meeting your daily vitamin E requirements, either through diet, supplementation, or both.
Best Vitamin E Supplement: Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi
Getting everything your body needs to perform optimally through diet is ideal, but it’s just not practical.
With stress, exercise, poor nutrition, poor sleep, and other lifestyle habits, we are neglecting what our bodies need on a micro level—that is, micronutrients.While you can eat healthily and exercise daily all you want, having a good multivitamin in your stack can be a blessing in disguise where your health is concerned.
Although supplements aren’t designed to replace a good diet, they do ensure you’re giving your body what it needs to function. And for us, why compromise on quality when you can get the absolute best of the best in just two capsules daily.Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi is a must. It’s an ultramodern multivitamin tailored with gender-specific doses to support overall health and hormonal balance.
Curated with state-of-the-art NutriGenesis vitamins and minerals, you’re getting 17+ essentials complexed with cofactors to boost absorption and maximize bioactivity.
It’s the simplest way to maximize your health and ensure you’re getting enough vitamin E.
References
- Keen MA, Hassan I. Vitamin E in dermatology. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2016;7(4):311-315.
- Niki E. Interaction of ascorbate and alpha-tocopherol. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1987;498:186-199.
- Pizzino G, Irrera N, Cucinotta M, et al. Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:8416763.
- Aghadavod E, Soleimani A, Hamidi G, Keneshlou F, Heidari A, Asemi Z. Effects of High-dose Vitamin E Supplementation on Markers of Cardiometabolic Risk and Oxidative Stress in Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy: a Randomized Double-blinded Controlled Trial. Iran J Kidney Dis. 2018;12(3):156-162.
- Amini L, Chekini R, Nateghi MR, et al. The Effect of Combined Vitamin C and Vitamin E Supplementation on Oxidative Stress Markers in Women with Endometriosis: A Randomized, Triple-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Pain Res Manag. 2021;2021:5529741
- Saremi A, Arora R. Vitamin E and cardiovascular disease. Am J Ther. 2010;17(3):e56-e65.
- Emami MR, Safabakhsh M, Alizadeh S, Asbaghi O, Khosroshahi MZ. Effect of vitamin E supplementation on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Hum Hypertens. 2019;33(7):499-507.
- Asbaghi O, Choghakhori R, Abbasnezhad A. Effect of Omega-3 and vitamin E co-supplementation on serum lipids concentrations in overweight patients with metabolic disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Metab Syndr. 2019;13(4):2525-2531.
- Singh U, Devaraj S, Jialal I. Vitamin E, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Annu Rev Nutr. 2005;25:151-174.
- Sadeghi N, Paknezhad F, Rashidi Nooshabadi M, Kavianpour M, Jafari Rad S, Khadem Haghighian H. Vitamin E and fish oil, separately or in combination, on treatment of primary dysmenorrhea: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2018;34(9):804-808.
- Kashanian M, Lakeh MM, Ghasemi A, Noori S. Evaluation of the effect of vitamin E on pelvic pain reduction in women suffering from primary dysmenorrhea. J Reprod Med. 2013;58(1-2):34-38.
- Pakniat H, Chegini V, Ranjkesh F, Hosseini MA. Comparison of the effect of vitamin E, vitamin D and ginger on the severity of primary dysmenorrhea: a single-blind clinical trial. Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2019;62(6):462-468.
- Keen MA, Hassan I. Vitamin E in dermatology. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2016;7(4):311-315.
- Teo CWL, Tay SHY, Tey HL, Ung YW, Yap WN. Vitamin E in Atopic Dermatitis: From Preclinical to Clinical Studies. Dermatology. 2021;237(4):553-564.
- La Fata G, Weber P, Mohajeri MH. Effects of vitamin E on cognitive performance during ageing and in Alzheimer's disease. Nutrients. 2014;6(12):5453-5472.
- Traber MG. Vitamin E inadequacy in humans: causes and consequences. Adv Nutr. 2014;5(5):503-514.