Naturally occurring vitamin E exists in eight chemical forms that have varying degrees of biological activity. One form, alpha-tocopherol, is the most active in humans. Vitamin E has many important roles in the human body and, in its natural form it is found in plant foods, especially oils, nuts, seeds and green leafy vegetables. Fortified foods, such as fortified breakfast cereals, contain the synthetic form of this vitamin.
Significance
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that helps strengthen the immune system and protect the body's cells, particularly those of the lung, brain and red blood cells, from damage caused by free radicals, or charged oxygen particles that come from pollutants, toxins and other sources. Vitamin E, along with potassium and iron, is a nutrient commonly deficient in the diets of children and, according to results of the 2001 to 2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, published in 2006 in the Journal of Nutrition, most Americans consume diets that provide well below the RDA for vitamin E regularly.
Recommended Intake
Children ages 4 to 8 years need 7mg or 10.4 International Units (IU) of vitamin E daily. Those ages 9 to 13 years require slightly more, 11mg or 11.4 IUs daily. Adolescent and adult males and females ages 14 and older need 15mg or 22.4 IU of vitamin E daily, including pregnant women. However, during lactation and breastfeeding, women need the most vitamin E of any population segment, 19mg or 28.4 IU daily. Consuming vitamin E-rich foods is important for optimal health.
Food Sources
The best food source of vitamin E is wheat germ oil, which provides 20.3mg and meets over 100 percent of the Recommended Daily Value (DV) for this nutrient. Almonds, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts, dry roasted, are also excellent food sources, providing 7.4, 6.0 and 4.3mg per ounce, or meeting 40, 30 and 22 percent of the DV, respectively. Sunflower and safflower oil are vitamin E-rich oils, meeting 28 and 25 of the DV per tablespoon, respectively. Other foods that provide some vitamin E are peanuts, peanut butter, corn oil, soybean oil, spinach, broccoli and kiwi fruit.
Vitamin E-Rich Substitutions
The reason most Americans fall short on vitamin E is that most salad dressings and mayonnaise are made with soybean oil, which is not particularly rich in vitamin E. Those higher in vitamin E, sunflower and safflower oils, are less commonly consumed. In addition, the American "nut" of choice, the peanut, is actually a legume and is not nearly as high in vitamin E as almonds and hazelnuts. To increase your intake of this important antioxidant nutrient, prepare homemade salad dressings with vitamin E-rich oils and nosh on almonds and hazelnuts in place of, or in addition to, peanuts.
Considerations
Like most vitamins, vitamin E is easily destroyed or degraded by exposure to heat, light and air. Cooking vitamin E-rich leafy greens leaches this vitamin, so you may absorb less than you think. According to the National Institutes of Health, because vitamin E is soluble in fat, consuming it with fats or in its natural form, such as in oils, nuts and seeds, enhances absorption.
Member Comments