Vitamin E's Effects On The Body

A healthy diet should consist of all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Vitamin E is an essential part of your functioning body. Vitamin E is considered an antioxidant vitamin, according to the book, "Nutrition" by Frances Sizer and Eleanor Whitney.

Function

Vitamin E provides a protective role to many of your cells. According to "Nutrition," vitamin E protects polyunsaturated fats, red blood cells and white blood cells from becoming oxidized. When a cell becomes oxidized, it is unable to perform its function and degenerates. Because vitamin E is an antioxidant, it is able to fight the oxidative molecules that can harm essential cells.

Sources

Vitamin E is readily available in many of the foods you eat. According to "Nutrition," the average diet receives about 20 percent of vitamin E intake from vegetable oils, 20 percent from fruits and vegetables, 15 percent from grains and the rest from meats and dairy. Vitamin E is also available in supplement form. Most multivitamins contain the daily recommendations for vitamin E.

Deficiency and Toxicity

The recommended daily intake of vitamin E is 15 mg per day for an adult, according to "Nutrition." Vitamin E deficiency is rare, but too little may result in increased oxidative reactions in the bloodstream. Vitamin E toxicity can cause nausea, blurred vision and intestinal distress. Too much vitamin E can increase the clotting factor of blood. This can lead to stroke or heart attack.

Vitamin E and Heart Disease

Vitamin E can help protect against heart disease. In a study published in "The Lancet" in 1996, vitamin E intake by patients with coronary heart disease was evaluated. Two groups of patients were given either vitamin E supplementation or a placebo and followed for 510 days. The results showed a decrease in heart attack and mortality in the group that received the vitamin E supplements.

Vitamin E and Cognition

Vitamin E has shown signs of protecting against cognitive decline as you age. In a study published in the "Archives of Neurology" by Martha Clare Morris and colleagues in 2002, cognitive decline was monitored over seven years in individuals 65 to 102 years old. The individuals who received adequate amounts of vitamin E had reduced cognitive decline.