Avocado is a great source of vitamin E

Many of us take a multivitamin supplement. Most of these supplements contain vitamin E. However, in most cases, this vitamin is synthetic (dl-alpha-tocopherol derived from petroleum products) and not as effective as the natural vitamin E, d alpha-tocopherol.

Vitamin E

https://www.medicinenet.com/vitamin_e/definition.htm Vitamin E is eight different chemicals. Four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta) make up the collective name of vitamin E.

These eight chemicals are antioxidants that fight free radical damage in our body at the cellular level. Vision, reproduction, and brain health require vitamin E. Research shows that vitamin E might delay the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease and improve the symptoms of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Vitamin E decreases the risk of blood clots and helps to keep blood vessels dilated.

Balanced diets contain minimal amounts of vitamin E for good health, but many Americans are not eating healthy and nutritious foods daily. It is not rare to be deficient in vitamin E, but it can happen.

Vitamin E Safety

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-e/art-20364144 The minimum daily allowance for vitamin E is 15 mg/day. Take care when using supplemental vitamin E. Taking over 1000 mg/day can become toxic. Fat cells in our bodies store excess vitamin E.

The benefit of healthy blood vessels is defeated when there is too much vitamin E in the body. Blood-thinning occurs and can lead to fatal bleeding. The risk of hemorrhagic stroke increases. Vitamin E is your friend at the correct levels and can lead to complications and death in excess.

Although rare, a deficiency of vitamin E results in coordination issues, muscle weakness, visual problems, and general malaise. Sometimes, nausea, diarrhea, cramps, headaches occur when the body is deficient in vitamin E.

Vitamin E Sources

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-e/ Avocado is an excellent source of vitamin E. Additionally, wheat germ oil, some vegetable oils, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, spinach, pumpkin, red bell peppers, and collard greens provide natural vitamin E sources.

Nuts, seeds, and vegetable oil are the best source of alpha-tocopherol. Beta-tocopherol and delta-tocopherol are in vegetable oil, wheat germ oil, and cottonseed oil. Black walnuts, sesame seeds, pecans, pistachios, flaxseed, and pumpkin seeds provide gamma-tocopherol.

Alpha-tocotrienol is in nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, palm oil, rice, and leafy green vegetables. Palm oil and rice are sources of beta-tocotrienol as well as gamma-tocotrienol. No single food has all eight components of vitamin E.

Vitamin E Contraindications

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-e/art-20364144 You must talk to your doctor when you plan to increase your vitamin E dose when you have a vitamin K deficiency, damaged retina, bleeding disorders, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, head and neck cancer, and liver disease.

When surgery is planned, ensure your doctor knows that you have higher than healthy levels of vitamin E. Surgeries may have to be postponed for a minimum of two weeks.

Prescription drugs affect vitamin E levels. Chemotherapy drugs (alkylating agents and anti-tumor antibiotics in particular) decrease vitamin E levels in the body. Vitamin K, statin drugs, niacin, Prilosec, Zegerid, and any anticoagulants or anti-platelet drugs are known to lower vitamin E levels or have harmful interactions with those drugs.

When foods provide your daily intake of vitamins and minerals, there are usually no problems. Issues arise with excessive amounts of vitamins or minerals.

Conclusion

https://www.lifeextension.com/newsletter/2011/7/studies-show-how-tocotrienols-reduce-stroke-damage I became interested in vitamin E when I read an article in Life Extension magazine several years ago. Miniscule amounts of vitamin E protect the brain from a stroke. Collateral brain veins opened to provide a blood workaround to the area where a stroke occurred, limiting any severe or long-term damage to the brain.

Tocotrienols block the release of toxic fatty acids by inhibiting specific genes from activating. Tocotrienols activated multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) genes to clear away oxidized glutathione. After a stroke, oxidized glutathione accumulates and can lead to brain cell death.

That article caught my attention, and I wanted to know where to get natural vitamin E sources and how much of those foods to eat daily. We can do many things to protect our brains, and ensure that we have adequate amounts of vitamin E is one of them.

Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com

 

 

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