The benefits of Vitamin E are highly underrated but this article will help open your eyes to its huge nutritional value, as well as expose you to foods that are rich in vitamin E.
Vitamin E is a type of vitamin that is found in many foods. It is described as an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage. It is seen as the major lipid-soluble exclusively obtained from diets.
Vitamin E can be said to be the collective term given to a group of fat-soluble compounds with distinctive antioxidant activities essential for health. Vitamin E is also a powerful vitamin that protects one’s cells from oxidative stress. Having adequate Vitamin E in your body system is highly important for the body to function normally.
Recent research shows that sufficient amounts of Vitamin E in one’s diet help maintain skin health, preserve good sight, and strengthen the immune system. Health practitioners advise that adults should get at least 15 milligrams of Vitamin E daily in a well-balanced meal.
The Benefits of Vitamin E
Getting enough Vitamin E in your daily diet will benefit you in the following ways:
1. Vision
Studies have shown that maintaining recommended levels of vitamin E in your meals will help promote healthy eye function that reduces the risk of developing some eye conditions.
Vitamin E’s antioxidant activity helps to support long-term eye health.
2. Heart Health
The presence of vitamin E in your meals helps maintain healthy heart function.
Recent studies have shown that getting enough Vitamin E through a well-balanced diet reduces the risk of heart attacks or death from heart disease.
3. Immune System
As one gets older, the immune system’s ability to fight off infection and disease may decline.
One of the antioxidants in Vitamin E, especially the one called alpha-Tocophenol has been shown to enhance our body’s immune response. These antioxidants also help to fight age-related cell damage that is linked with a lot of chronic diseases, including cancer.
4. Cognitive Health
It has been suggested through some studies that Vitamin E can prevent memory decline or slow the progression of conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s. It is also believed that vitamin E’s antioxidants, together with nutrients like Vitamin A and C, can maintain long-term brain health.
In addition, Vitamin E helps protect the body from free radicals. Free radicals are said to be highly energetic molecules with an I-shared electron. The body produces them naturally during many processes, such as converting food and energy.
Free radicals can also enter the body due to environmental factors such as pollution, sunlight, or smoke. Also, free radicals can cause oxidative stress which is a process that triggers cellular damage and aging.
Some research shows that vitamin E may increase the expression of certain enzymes that widen blood vessels, and widen blood vessels are less likely to develop dangerous blood clots.
Furthermore, getting enough Vitamin E may also help reduce the risk of a range of conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline.
Vitamin E is also essential for keeping the skin youthful. It improves skin health by reducing collagen breakdown and free radical damage in the skin.
In the same vein, Vitamin E is required for every age group, However, the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA for vitamin E depends on a person’s age.
Ages And Their Required Dosages for Vitamin E
The following are the ages and required dosages for each group in milligrams.
0-6 months – 4mg
7-12months – 5mg
1-3years – 6mg
4-8years – 7mg
9-13years – 11mg
14years + – 15mg
Breastfeeding women – 19mg
Foods Rich in Vitamin E
Food has best been described as a rich source of Vitamin E. Many foods contain some Vitamins, but few foods including cooking oil, nuts, and seeds, vegetables, and fruits are said to be exceptionally rich in vitamin E.
Here is a detailed list of foods rich in vitamin E.
Nuts And Seeds High In Vitamin E
Nuts and seeds are among the foods rich in Vitamin E. The nuts and seeds that make up the list are:
- Sunflower seed
- Almonds
- Hazelnutsuts
- Peanuts
- Brazil nuts
- Pistachios
- Pumpkin seeds
- Pecans
- Cashew nuts
These nuts help to reduce the risk of obesity and heart disease
Fruits High In Vitamin E
While some still argue if fruit score the best source of Vitamin E. A couple of fruits have been found to be rich in E and provide good amounts. Fruits that are rich in Vitamin include:
- Mamey Sapote
- Avocado
- Mango
- Kiwi fruit
- Blackberries
- Black currant
- Cranberries(dried)
- Olives
- Apricot
- Raspberries
Fruits are also rich in many nutrients like potassium, omega 3, and vitamin C and K.
Vegetables High In Vitamin E
Just like fruits, some vegetables are a decent source of vitamin E and are rich in it. These vegetables include:
- Red sweet pepper (raw)
- Turnip greens (raw)
- Beet greens(cooked)
- Butternut squash(cooked)
- Broccoli(cooked)
- Mustard Greens(cooked)
- Asparagus(cooked)
- Swiss chard( raw)
- Collard (raw)
- Spinach(raw)
The vitamin and mineral content in this group is especially potent.
Health practitioners advise that they should be eaten uncooked, as cooking can reduce their richness in vitamins.
Cooking Oils High In Vitamin E
This group is described as one extremely rich in vitamins. The oils that make up this list are :
- Wheat germ oil
- Hazelnut oil
- Sunflower oil
- Almond oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Safflower oil
- Rice Bran oil
- Canola oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Palm oil
Animal Products High In Vitamin E
- Goose meat
- Abalone
- Atlantic salmon
- Rainbow trout
- Snails
- Fish
- Crayfish
- Lobster
- Octopus
- Cod(dried)
The above-mentioned products have essential nutrients for both physical and cognitive health.
In conclusion, Vitamin E is an important vitamin whose main purpose in the body is to protect against cell damage.
A variety of antioxidant-rich foods such as fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and moderate amounts of unsaturated fats from vegetable oils, fish, nuts, and seeds will surely provide one with a healthy amount of vitamin E daily.
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