Most women who go through menopause will be bothered at some point by hot flashes, and the search has been on for years for something to relieve the annoying flushing and sweating. Scientists as far back as the 1940s were exploring whether vitamin E might help relieve the symptoms of menopause, but there's still little scientific backing for use of the vitamin to aid menopausal women.
Vitamin E Oil
You can find vitamin E oil packaged in bottles for use as a skin moisturizer, but when it comes to menopause, vitamin E oil has been studied as a dietary supplement. You can take it by the drop, but it's most often used in capsule form. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protect your body from free radicals that can harm cells, tissues and organs. The vitamin also helps the immune system and is important in the formation of red blood cells.
Menopause
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when she permanently stops menstruating. In the U.S., the average age of menopause is 51, though normal is considered any time between 40 and 58 years of age. You might experience a number of symptoms when going through menopause, including vaginal dryness, sleep disturbance, urinary complaints and cognitive disturbance, and many women complain about hot flashes.
Hot Flashes
New York University's Langone Medical Center reports that vitamin E is sometimes considered a natural treatment for the hot flashes that often accompany menopause. However, it notes that researchers have not found conclusive evidence the vitamin helps. It reports that a small, double-blind study conducted in Iran in 2007 found that women who took 400 IU of vitamin E daily got more relief from hot flashes than women taking a placebo. However, the medical center notes that a larger U.S. study in 1998 did not find vitamin E to be of any significant help in treating hot flashes associated with breast cancer treatment.
Heart Disease
When you reach menopause, you're at greater risk of heart disease. Medical authorities say it's important for post-menopausal women to follow a heart-healthy diet, control blood pressure and cholesterol levels, quit smoking and drink only limited amounts of alcohol. However, the American Heart Association specifically does not recommend taking antioxidant supplements such as vitamin E, vitamin C, beta carotene or folic acid to help prevent heart disease. It does recommend getting omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish or fish oil supplements.
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