Oral Vitamin E Benefits

Vitamin E is an antioxidant. It helps your body combat the adverse effects of free radicals in your bloodstream; therefore, it prevents cellular damage and the development of disease. Vitamin E supplements either contain a natural form of vitamin E or a synthetic form. The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University notes that the synthetic form is less effective. Read labels carefully when purchasing vitamin E supplements.

Provides Antioxidant Protection

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant. Environmental pollutants such as cigarette smoke, car exhaust and chemicals expose you to free radicals. Free radicals are destructive compounds that enter your body and damage cellular structure and function. Your body naturally creates free radicals when food converts to energy, and these are responsible for disease processes such as heart disease and cancer. However, the antioxidant effects of vitamin E can prevent free-radical damage, thus aiding in the prevention of disease, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC.

Promotes Eye Health

Vitamin E supplementation helps to prevent and improve eye disorders such as macular degeneration and uveitis. According to UMMC, 400 IU of vitamin E protects your eyes from macular degeneration, the number one cause of adult-onset blindness. Uveitis, or inflammation of the uvea -- the middle portion of your eye -- improves with vitamin E supplementation, heightening visual acuity.

Enhances Immune Function

Vitamin E supplementation enhances immune function by promoting the activity of white blood cells -- the cells responsible for attacking and killing harmful, toxic substances that invade your body. Dr. Simin Nikbin Maydani and colleagues, from Tufts University, report that 200 IU of vitamin E reduces the likelihood of an upper respiratory tract infection, also known as the common cold.

Possible Heart Benefits

Will vitamin E prevent heart disease? The jury is still out. As an antioxidant, scientists argue that it prevents plaque deposition in the arteries. The University of Michigan Health System reports a positive correlation between vitamin E supplementation and a decrease in arterial plaque formation. However, the Harvard School of Public Health details a list of studies that do not find positive benefits of vitamin E in the treatment and prevention of heart disease.