Health Benefits of Vitamin E or Tocopherol
The health benefits of vitamin E or Tocopherol include reduced risk of cataract, cancer, heart and cardiovascular diseases. It also helps in improving metabolism and immune system, stamina and vitality etc.
A set of eight related Tocopherols is collectively known as Vitamin E. This vitamin is best known for its fat soluble and antioxidant properties. Vitamin E was first discovered with experiments on rats in 1922. The deficiency of this vitamin caused infertility in rats. Although there is no firm confirmation that this vitamin helped increase fertility in humans, many people, especially men claim that regular intakes of Vitamin E increases their sexuality and vitality.
Vitamin E is an essential body vitamin. Out of the eight tocopherols, alpha-tocopherols are the most commonly available and are also preferentially absorbed and used by the body. In supplements, it is either available in natural or synthetic form. The synthetic form is only half as active as its natural form.
Health benefits of vitamin E
Cancer and Cardiovascular diseases: This vitamin is lipid-soluble; it helps in cell-membrane stability. Contents of antioxidants in Vitamin E protect our cells from the negative effects of the free radicals. Free radicals are the by products of our body’s metabolism process. These free radicals are harmful to our body as they damage cells which further increase the chances of body developing chronicle diseases like cancer and other cardiovascular diseases. Vitamin E has the ability to limit the production of these free radicals, so it might help in the prevention of cancer and other chronicle diseases.
Improving Metabolism and Immune System: Vitamin E plays a vital role in improving our immune system. It helps in the function of DNA repair and also in improving the body’s metabolism processes. Intake of Vitamin E helps stop the development of nitrosamines in our body. Nitrosamines are carcinogens, formed in the stomach from nitrates in our diet. This helps in the improvement of our metabolism process. Vitamin E helps protect some of our sensitive tissues of our body parts like skin, liver, eyes, breast and testes.
Heart Diseases: Researches have shown that Vitamin E helps prevent or sometimes delay heart diseases. Blockages in the coronary arteries sometimes cause heart attacks. These blockages in the arteries are promoted by the oxidative changes to LDL-cholesterol in the body. Vitamin E has the vital presence of antioxidants, which limits the oxidation LDL-cholesterol and thus it helps preventing heart diseases. One of the major reasons to heart attacks is blood clots. Researches show that Vitamin E helps in the deformation of blood clots which in turn avoids heart attacks. Studies have shown that people with high intake of Vitamin E are less prone to heart related diseases.
Cataracts: This disease is a result of an abnormal growth in the eye’s lens. This results in cloudy vision and high risk of vision disability in aged people. People with high intake of Vitamin E have shown better lens clarity as compared to others. Antioxidants which are also present in Vitamin E aid in reducing or delaying the growth of cataracts.
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