The Benefits of Antioxidants: Vitamin E

Vitamin E, also called tocopherol or tocotrienol, is well known for its ability to heal the skin quickly when applied topically. Most lotions containing aloe vera also contain vitamin E. Its antioxidant properties are the reason for it’s miracle healing powers.

It is a hydrophobic polyphenol antioxidant. This means it is a fat-soluble antioxidant. Polyphenol describes is chemical structure. It is used as a preservative in many foods. When used in this way, it typically goes by the name Alpha-Tocopherol or Alpha-Tocotrienol. These names can also be used on the back of supplements bottles.

Vitamin E benefits the body in many ways, most notably in the cardiovascular system. It has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease significantly by protecting against the nasty effects of LDL or “bad” cholesterol. It also reduces the risk of coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis by improving the integrity of the endothelium cells in the vascular walls. It has also been used as a blood thinner because it prevents platelet aggregation (stops the platelets from clumping together), which is beneficial for preventing strokes. Some studies have shown that the vitamin activates the connective tissue growth factor, or CTGF, gene thereby promoting overall healing. There are some recent studies on the effects it has on depression. Preliminary results show that tocopherol has some benefit against depression, but more research needs to be conducted.

The most well known function of Vitamin E is its ability to aid in healing the skin. When applied to burns, cuts and other wounds, it speeds up the healing process and prevents scarring. It also protects the skin from damage due to ultraviolet light, which has led some to believe it has anti-aging properties. I did my own little experiment. I wanted to see if the healing abilities extended to acne. (I am 33 years old and I still have acne every month!) I was astonished at the results I found. I cut open one of the little gel capsules and smeared the sticky vitamin all over my face right before bed. When I woke up the next morning, my jaw hit the floor in shock. My acne was 75% BETTER! The redness was minimal, and some of the scarring I had from previous breakouts was almost gone as well. It has also kept my acne at bay. I still get breakouts every month, but it is only one to two pimples, not my entire face like it used to be. I do not recommend using the oil for this purpose however. I tried this as well and it actually made things worse, which I attributed to the coconut and soybean oil. Vitamin E is now the only thing, aside from soap, that I use on my face nightly.

Vitamin E deficiency, while rare, can happen. Symptoms of deficiency are immune system impairment, retinopathy (bleeding in the retina of the eye causing vision loss), male infertility, and anemia.

It is available in supplement form and typically comes in yellow, gel capsules. The dosage is measured in International Units, or IU. Typical supplements are available over-the-counter in 200 IU, 400 IU and rarely 800 or 1,000 IU. The recommended daily allowance by the USDA is 15mg. I will do the conversion for you, 15mg is equal to 22.35 IU. If we take the typical 400 IU supplement, we are taking the equivalent of 450mg.

It is better to consume all our vitamins and nutrients, through the foods we eat. Some vitamin E rich foods are asparagus, avocados, broccoli (which is high in potassium and calcium as well), leafy green vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, beets, and collard greens, fruits such as mangos, nuts such as almonds, or hazelnuts, safflower and sunflower oil, tomato products, which also contain lutein and lycopene, and wheat germ.

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