Vitamin E & Breast Health

You can help maintain healthy breasts by eating right and exercising. Eating a variety of foods will help supply your body with a good dose of the vitamins and minerals you need to support the health of your breasts. Vitamin E is one key nutrient your breasts require, both for good health now, as well as to potentially help prevent illness and disease far into the future. Add supplements or foods rich in vitamin E to your diet and you may begin to reap the rewards this nutrient has to offer your breasts.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is crucial because it offers you antioxidant properties that help protect your body from the negative effects of free radicals, dangerous substances that can lead to health problems, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Vitamin E may also help protect your body, including your breasts, from DNA damage that free radicals can cause. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that vitamin E is also essential for your body to be able to produce healthy red blood cells, as well as absorb adequate amounts of vitamin K from the foods you eat.

Breast Health

The Linus Pauling Institute reports that studies suggest vitamin E can benefit the health of your breasts in numerous ways, including reducing your risk of breast cancer, lowering your chances of developing fibroids in your breast tissue and decreasing the amount of breast pain you experience during your monthly cycle. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that other studies, however, suggest that there are no benefits from increasing your intake of vitamin E. Due to the inconclusive results, speak with your doctor about whether or not vitamin E is right for you and the health of your breasts.

Recommendations

Whether or not additional vitamin E will boost the benefits to your breasts, vitamin E is an essential nutrient that you need in your daily diet. You need 1,500 international units of vitamin E on a daily basis to help provide your body with the amount it needs to function properly, as well as help protect you from free radicals. Too much vitamin E in supplement form, however, can also carry risks, including hemorrhaging and inhibited blood coagulation. If you are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, talk with your doctor about whether the benefits of additional vitamin E outweigh the risks.

Sources

If you and doctor determine that vitamin E may reduce your risk of breast cancer, fibroids and pain, he may recommend a supplement, but you can also increase your intake of this vitamin by adding certain foods to your diet. Wheat germ, sunflower seeds, almonds and hazelnuts are among your best food sources of vitamin E. Peanut butter, peanuts, spinach, broccoli, kiwi, mango, tomato and eggs are additional foods that may help you increase your daily intake of vitamin E.