Are Your Heart and Brain Getting Enough Vitamin E?

If you read the news you’re probably aware that vitamin E is important for heart health, but what is the big deal about this nutrient? And, why should you care? To answer these questions let me begin by telling you a few basics.

By definition vitamin E, like all vitamins, is critical to life. You simply could not live without it. Without adequate vitamin E, your body’s blood vessels, heart, liver, lungs, adrenal and pituitary glands, skin, testes or uterus, and other important tissues would suffer. Vitamin E also boosts your skin health and aids in keeping it soft and supple. Vitamin E helps protect your body from toxins in the environment and your food. It helps to protect you against the effects of aging and really shines when it comes to your brain health.

Powerful antioxidants like vitamin E fight excess free radical damage that can interfere with how brain cells function.  Over time, too many free radicals wear out brain cells and prevent them from communicating properly with each other, which can lead to memory loss. But vitamin E interferes with this destructive process by protecting the fatty parts of the brain, which comprises about 60 percent of the brain, making it critical to healthy cognitive functioning and prevention against brain diseases. 

SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS OF A VITAMIN E DEFICIENCY

There are many signs or symptoms of a vitamin E deficiency. It is not necessary to have all of the following symptoms. Because these symptoms can indicate other health issues it is important to be examined if you’re experiencing them. The signs or symptoms of vitamin E deficiency includes:

Anemia
Blood clots or the tendency to form blood clots
Cardiac arrhythmia
Dementia
Dry hair, split ends, or thinning hair
Eye/visual problems
Eye twitching
Impotence or low sexual drive in men
Loss of muscle mass
Menstrual pain in women
Muscle weakness
Night blindness
Poor coordination

FOOD SOURCES OF VITAMIN E

Vitamin E is found in many whole grains and whole grain breads, whole grain cereals and whole grain sprouts such as spelt, wheat or rye. It is also found in dark leafy vegetables, avocados, a wide variety of nuts and seeds, including: walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, almonds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

SUPPLEMENTING WITH VITAMIN E

While it is imperative to eat foods rich in antioxidants since they are better used by the body than supplements, it is also important to supplement with additional vitamin E if you are experiencing heart disease, brain disease or other health problems since the vitamin helps to protect the brain, heart and blood vessels against damaging free radicals.

Supplement with 400 IU of vitamin E daily, preferably in mixed tocopherol form. Be sure the product you select contains natural vitamin E as it is better absorbed and therapeutically superior than synthetic varieties. Natural forms of vitamin E include: d-alpha tocopherol, d-alpha tocopheryl acetate or d-alpha tocopheryl succinate whereas synthetic forms of vitamin E have a dl- prefix. Avoid taking larger doses unless you are working with a naturally-minded health practitioner who is versed in therapeutic doses of vitamin E. The vitamin can be stored in the body and can build up to excess amounts if taken in large doses over time.