Hello again!  Last week we talked about Vitamin D and showcased how important of a role it plays in assisting the health of our body!  This week we will take a look at Vitamin E Benefits and see what a difference it can make in your body and skin.  Once again, we’ll look at the benefits, the foods that contain Vitamin E and what other vitamins and nutrients work well with it.

About Vitamin E

Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin, is a collective description for eight compounds– four tocopherols and four tocotrienols.  For the most part, all forms of Vitamin E are beneficial for the body.  Recent studies have shown that the tocotrienols are especially good at reducing the risk of cancer as well as being superb for heart health.  Generally speaking here are just a few benefits of Vitamin E:

Benefits of Vitamin E:

• Helps balance cholesterol
• Fights free radicals and is a fantastic antioxidant
• Powerful fighter against dis-eases
• Great for all skin issues– try topically for fast results
• Supports healthy heart function
• Helps boost hair and scalp health- try a few drops on wet hair to help smooth and shine hair
• Eases PMS symptoms (can also help with severity of cramps)
• Reduces menstrual blood loss
• Regulates menstrual cycle
• Great for eye health (especially taken with vitamin C, beta-carotene and zinc)
• Reduces inflammation in the body
• Helps reduce symptoms/side effects of radiation therapy
• Eliminates fatigue due to excessive physical activity by promoting blood circulation
• Important during pregnancy and early childhood years for crucial brain development

As you can see, Vitamin E is a woman’s dream– great for everything from beauty to PMS!

Foods with Vitamin E

Here are some delicious foods that will provide your body with a natural form of Vitamin E, mostly tocopherols:

• Sunflower Seeds
• Almonds
• Hazelnuts
• Avocados
• Butternut Squash
• Mangoes

The following foods contain tocotrienols (the form of Vitamin E especially good for heart health, immune support, and cancer prevention):

• Coconut
• Annatto Seed
• Barley
• Palm Oil
• Rice Bran Oil

Supplementing with Vitamin E

The foods listed above are great sources of Vitamin E but if you feel you need more Vitamin E or if you are experiencing any skin or hormonal issues, you can try supplementing with Vitamin E. Here are a few options to choose from:

• Now Vitamin E-400: This is a softgel with mixed tocopherols.
• Now Liquid Vitamin E:  This form of Vitamin E than can be used topically as well as internally.  It can be used to help prevent scarring from a wound or to help diminish old scars.
• Jarrow Famil-E:  This E has all 8 forms of Vitamin E– including tocotrienols.  One of the best options for Vitamin E supplements.
• Viva Complete E-400: This is a dry form of Vitamin E, meaning it is water-soluble.  It is helpful for people who have digestive issues and are not able to adsorb the traditional fat-soluble Vitamin E. It also contains CoQ10 as well as other natural antioxidants– making this form of E packed with free radical fighters!

Vitamin E Coupling

Now for the fun part!  Let’s take a look at what other nutrients boost the benefits of Vitamin E:

• Vitamin E and Selenium:  These two work fantastic together, boosting antioxidants in the body.  They can be helpful for increasing breast and thyroid health.
• Vitamin E and Vitamin C:  This pair also works together to boost antioxidant power in the body.
• Vitamin E and a fat containing meal: Take your E with a fat containing meal to boost absorption!

As you can see Vitamin E plays a huge role in the health of our bodies– inside and out!  Next week we will take a look at one of the lesser known Vitamins– Vitamin K-2.

As always, do what you feel is best for YOUR body — if you aren’t sure, ask your doctor.  We are health ENTHUSIASTS not licensed practitioners.