Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant in the body. It was discovered in 1922 by Herbert Evans and Catherine Bishop who dubbed it 'Factor X'. This 'Factor X' was later renamed vitamin E by Dr Bennet Sure in 1924. In this article I will be helping you learn a bit more about this important vitamin by providing you with four fun facts.
1) IT PROTECTS THE BODY:- As I mentioned above this vitamin is an antioxidant which means it protects your body from free radicals (harmful by-products that are released when the body uses oxygen and can damage various cells, organs and vessels). In particular vitamin E can protect your artery walls and deoxyribonucleic (DNA) from damage which reduces your risk of both cancer and heart disease.
Nutrition And Vitamins
2) IT ASSISTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF FOODS:- Vitamin E does not just protect your body from oxidative damage. It also acts as an effective food preservative by protecting oxygen sensitive compounds in foods including polyunsaturated fats and vitamin A.
3) OILS ARE A RICH SOURCE OF THIS VITAMIN:- Oils are a particularly good source of vitamin E. Oils from corn, nuts and wheat germ are particularly rich sources. However, if oily foods are not your thing then fruits, vegetables and wholegrains do contain lower levels of this vitamin. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for this vitamin is 4mg for men and 3mg for women. Therefore, make sure you are eating some of the above foods on a regular basis to ensure that you are getting enough.
4) NOT GETTING ENOUGH CAN DAMAGE YOUR BODY'S CELLS:- If you do not consume enough of this protective vitamin your cells can become damaged. First, your skin cells can become damaged which leads to age spots (a condition where brown spots appear on the skin). Secondly, your blood cells can become damage leading to hemolytic anemia (a condition where the blood cells become extremely delicate and rupture easily). Therefore, if you want to avoid these undesirable symptoms make sure you are getting your RDA of this vitamin.
I hope this article has provided you with a better understanding of vitamin E. As you can see it serves a vital protective role in your body so you need to make sure you are getting enough of it in your diet.