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7 Benefits of Vitamin E for Your Healthy Skin and Hair
Vitamins are exceptionally important substances that humans need in order to grow, develop, and be healthy. These thirteen groups play a significant role throughout the body, helping to boost the immune system and promoting new cell growth. Actually consisting of eight separate compounds, Vitamin E chemicals are an incredibly important group of vitamins to include regularly into your diet through food or supplements.
7 Health Benefits of Vitamin E
1. Vitamin E Helps To Lower Cholesterol
Cholesterol has gotten a bad reputation in recent years, especially HDL which is good cholesterol. HDL plays an important role in maintaining healthy and high functioning cells.
However, high bad cholesterol, or LDL, is an ailment that affects over ten percent of American adults. When too much bad cholesterol is consumed, LDL clogs arteries and can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Since the 1980s, studies have shown that Vitamin E helps to decrease the levels of overall cholesterol in the blood by between nine and eleven percent over six months, with LDL levels decreasing by up to seventeen percent over six months, while those who were taking placebos showed no reduction in their levels of LDL (1).
2. Vitamin E Prevents and Treats Free Radical Damage
Antioxidants are incredibly important compounds that are found in many different types of plants. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps to fight free radicals throughout the body (2).
Free radicals, while naturally occurring, can cause disruptions in the individual DNA of cells. Antioxidants work to combat free radicals throughout the body, and can lead to a decreased risk of various conditions, including many different types of cancer, heart disease, and premature aging.
3. Vitamin E Contributes To Healthy Hair and Skin
As an antioxidant, Vitamin E plays a huge role in promoting new cell growth throughout the entire body. For those who are looking for longer and thicker hair, Vitamin E may play a role in healthier hair by stimulating the follicles and repairing any damage on the scalp (3).
Vitamin E is a significant factor in keeping skin healthy. As an antioxidant, Vitamin E aids in reversing any damage caused by UV radiation from the sun. The sun can cause premature wrinkles and sunspots. Vitamin E can also help fade the appearance of scars and stretch marks. It can also act as a fantastic moisturizer to help keep your particularly dry skin, such as hands, heels, elbows, and knees, soft and smooth.
In order to reap these benefits on both the hair and skin, you can apply Vitamin E directly to the affected areas for best results.
4. Vitamin E May Help To Prevent PMS
For many women, the telltale signs of an upcoming menstrual cycle are hard to miss. Symptoms include bloating, cramping, digestive upset, and breast tenderness.
Many women utilize heating pads and pain relievers to help get them through this uncomfortable phase but many are not aware that Vitamin E may help to regulate hormones and cut down on these symptoms (4).
Studies have shown that including a Vitamin E supplement that also contains a polyunsaturated fat helps to decrease levels prostaglandins which contribute to many of PMS symptoms.
5. Vitamin E May Help Prevent Cognitive Related Aging
As we age, multiple areas of our body start to decline. For millions of Americans who suffer from dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other age related memory concerns, Vitamin E helps in preventing further damage and potentially reversing some of the damage that has already occurred (5).
The causes of Alzheimer’s are not fully understood, but studies have found that those who have Alzheimer’s exhibit high levels of damage caused by lack of Vitamin E. Vitamin E has been shown to be effective in stroke prevention, as well as helping the brain heal and grow healthy new cells after a stroke or other traumatic brain injury.
6. Vitamin E Keeps Eyes Healthy
The antioxidants discussed above do more than just prevent cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants fight free radicals that target the tissue around eyes as well, which can lead to degenerative eye diseases such as Age-related Macular Degeneration, also known as AMD and is a cause of blindness in those who are over 55, and those who have cataracts (6).
Studies have shown that increasing the levels of Vitamin E may cut down on the risk for AMD by up to twenty-five percent.
7. Vitamin E Helps with Strength and Endurance During Physical Activities
According to studies, vitamin E can improve athletic performance by increasing your physical endurance and strength during physical activities. Furthermore, it can help in the recovery phase of the program by reducing the levels of oxidative stress in the muscles after exercise. It also eliminates fatigue by promoting good circulation, which helps in flushing out lactic acid and toxins. (7)
How To Incorporate More Vitamin E Into Your Diet
Vitamin E is an important addition to any diet, but many may not be aware of how to incorporate more into their diet.
There are plenty of different supplements available at pharmacies and health food stores that will contribute to your daily recommended dose of Vitamin E. You can also easily get enough Vitamin E through the foods you eat every day.
Almonds and sunflower seeds have high levels of Vitamin E. Dark vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, as well as avocados, provide a good source of this vitamin as well. Many different types of fish, particularly shrimp and trout provide vitamin E, as do pumpkins, squash, and kiwi. Many types of oils, such as olive, soybean, and canola, can be used in the place of butter while cooking to add Vitamin E into your diet.
Who Should Avoid Too Much Vitamin E
Vitamin E is fat soluble, which means that any excess that is consumed stays in the body in fatty tissue instead of being eliminated through urine like water soluble vitamins. Therefore, it is possible to take in too much Vitamin E, particularly for those who are taking supplements.
Common symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, headache, and rash. These symptoms are generally mild and do not last more than a day or two. If you suspect your issues are stemming from excessive Vitamin E, stop taking any supplements and talk with your doctor about correct dosage.
However, those who are suffering from bleeding disorders should avoid Vitamin E supplements, as this vitamin can cause abnormal bleeding.
Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist about every medication, whether prescribed or over-the-counter, you are taking to ensure there will be no negative interactions. Since alcohol can cause bleeding, avoid excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages while taking Vitamin E supplements to avoid any bleeding of the stomach or intestines.
Conclusion
Vitamin E is just one of many different types of vitamins that the body needs every day. Consuming a diet full of this vitamin, as well as the thirteen other groups of vitamins, can help keep the body healthy throughout, from preventing cancer, stopping premature aging, and promoting new cell growth. By eating a balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables, it is easy to ensure that your diet is full of essential vitamins especially vitamin E.