What is Vitamin E?

What conditions has it been used to treat?

What is Vitamin E ?

Other names : Tocopherol.

Like D, K and A this vitamin is fat-soluble. It is light yellow in colour and can either be natural or synthetic. Natural Vitamin E is made up of substances called tocopherols, there are eight in total but the most common ones are alpha-tocopherol and d-alpha tocopherol.

In the synthetic version of Vitamin E the common two are alpha-tocopherol acetate and dl-alpha-tocopherol.

Natural Vitamin E supplements are often obtained from wheat germ oil or soybean oil with the synthetic oil being obtained from purified petroleum oil. It is always preferable to use natural oil.

Where is it found?

Wheat germ oil, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, whole grains, leafy green vegetables, egg yolks.

Why is it needed?

Vitamin E is the strongest antioxidant known. It works in conjunction with selenium and vitamin C and provides antioxidant protection through out the body.

What happens if you are deficient?

Deficiencies are very rare and of course there are those few who have difficulty in absorbing fats for a variety of reasons; premature, low birth-weight babies, older people, those on low-fat diets and chronic liver disease.

Deficiency can cause irritability, fluid retention and anaemia.

Lethargy, apathy and an inability to concentrate may also result from deficiency in this vitamin.