Nutritional Supplements: The Amazing Benefits of Vitamin E

The real benefits of Vitamin E may surprise you. Firstradicals that cause oxidative stress.Benefits of Vitamin
of all, what is Vitamin E? Vitamin E is not one nutrientE and Heart DiseaseDoes Vitamin E aid in the
but actually a group of eight nutrients known asprevention of heart disease? Well, the jury's still out on
tocopherols and tocotrienols. Each one of thesethis one. Theoretically, the benefits of Vitamin E and its
groups is further broken down into alpha, beta, gammaability to significantly reduce the progression of
and delta.Alpha-tocopherol is the most active andatherosclerotic plaque (buildup on the inside of your
common form. This is the form most often found inartery walls), says yes, without a doubt.An article in the
vitamin supplements. This is also the only form ofJournal of the American Medical Association says so
Vitamin E given an RDA (Recommended Dailyalso. Using angiography, a correlation was found
Allowance). Folks who eat lots of fruits andbetween taking Vitamin E supplements and a reduction
vegetables and not much fat in their diet, probably don'tin coronary artery atherosclerosis. Remember the
get their RDA of alpha-tocopherol. Althoughabove benefits of Vitamin E and how Vitamin E acts
alpha-tocopherol is the only Vitamin E componentas an antioxidant? Well this is the same mechanism.As
given an RDA, Gamma tocopherol is an importantJeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. of Tufts University,
component as well.Vitamin E is an oil soluble vitaminBoston, Massachusetts states "... surveys of over
and is stored by your body.Benefits of Vitamin E and200,000 people in different communities around the
What It Does For YouWhat does Vitamin E do?world have provided compelling evidence that diets
Vitamin E acts as what's called an antioxidant. If you'vehigh in vitamin E and/or use of vitamin E supplements
read the section of my site on Health Supplements,reduce the risk of heart disease."Dr. Blumberg stresses
you've no doubt read about what an antioxidant does.the importance of making the distinction between what
If not we can review quickly.The cells of your bodyhe calls primary and secondary prevention. Primary
are under a lot of stress... oxidative stress. Oxidativeprevention focuses on groups of healthy people and
stress occurs when highly unstable molecules calledtesting for new heart disease against different levels
free radicals roam freely throughout your body. Freeof Vitamin E intake over many years. Secondary
radicals are a by-product of not only the normalprevention is taking groups of folks with existing heart
metabolic processes of your cells but also yourdisease and testing for a short duration using Vitamin E
environment. Things such as air pollution, sun exposure,supplements along with placebos.It is felt that the
ozone, nitrous oxide (from auto exhaust), cigaretteresults of some secondary trials (the ones that claim
smoke, alcohol consumption and so on.Free radicalsno beneficial relationship between Vitamin E and heart
damage cell membranes and can result in changes todisease) may be skewed by other factors in these
your cells that cause chronic diseases down the road.heart patients such as smoking and diabetes. Also the
When your cells are being damaged by these freedrugs that these folks are taking along with the Vitamin
radicals, we say your cells are experiencing oxidativeE supplements could also affect the outcome of the
stress... and one of the benefits of Vitamin E is that it isresearch.Concerning the benefits of Vitamin E, Dr.
an antioxidant and can significantly neutralize the free