Vitamin E Benefits, Advantages & Rich Sources Explained

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant in your body. It reduces cell damage and protects your body from recurring infections. A study conducted by NIH cited that regular intake of vitamin E reduced cardiovascular deaths significantly by 24%.

If you want to learn more about vitamin E benefits, scroll down!

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What Are the Benefits of Vitamin E?

Regulates Oxidative Stress

Signs of oxidative stress occur in your body when there is an imbalance of antioxidants and free radicals. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant that fights the free radicals, protecting cells from damage. In this way, it manages to control frequent inflammation in your body.

Manages Diabetes

Increased oxidative stress often leads your body to develop diabetes. One of the dietary vitamin E benefits is that it delays the onset of this condition.

Keeps Your Skin Healthy

Being an antioxidant, it also protects your skin from environmental stress. One of the popular uses of vitamin E is as a cosmetic ingredient. It demonstrates photoreceptive properties in topical creams, beneficial for healing wounds on the skin.

Controls the Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis weakens the joints and leads to pain and stiffness. Vitamin E helps ward off the symptoms of osteoarthritis by reducing oxidative stress.

Also, vitamin E helps in –

Preventing cataracts
Avoiding neurodegenerative diseases
Lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases

How to Know if You Have Vitamin E Deficiency?

Take note of the following signs of vitamin E deficiency:

Weak eyesight
Irregular body coordination
Poor immunity
Weak muscles
Peripheral neuropathy or numbness or tingling sensation.

Note: People with the following conditions are more at risk of developing vitamin E deficiency–

Crohn's disease
Cystic fibrosis
Severe pancreatitis
Cholestasis
Ataxia

If you notice any of these symptoms, consult your doctor immediately. He/she will prescribe you a blood test.

Take help from the following list to know about the normal vitamin E levels that must be present in the blood –

Age	Vitamin E Level
0-17 years	3.8-18.4 mg/L
18 years or more	5.5-17.0 mg/L

A vitamin E level below 3.0 mg/L indicates a substantial deficiency. In that case, doctors may prescribe necessary medication along with a proper diet.

Top Natural Sources of Vitamin E: Fruits, Vegetables, and Others

Now that you are aware of what happens with vitamin e deficiency, make sure to consume the following food items regularly to maintain adequate nutrient levels – [1]

6 Fruits That Are Rich Sources of Vitamin E (Per 100 Grams)

Mamey Sapote - 2.1 mg
Avocado – 21 mg
Mango – 0.9 mg
Kiwifruit – 1.5 mg
Apricots - 0.9 mg
Cranberries – 2.1 mg

6 Vegetables That Are the Best Sources of Vitamin E (Per 100 Grams)

Red Sweet Pepper – 1.6 mg
Beet Greens – 1.8 mg
Broccoli – 1.5 mg
Asparagus – 1.5 mg
Raw Collards – 2.3 mg
Mustard Greens – 1.8 mg

Top 6 Nuts Containing Vitamin E (Per 100 Grams)

Sunflower Seeds – 35 mg
Almonds – 26 mg
Peanuts – 8.3 mg
Pistachios – 2.9 mg
Pecans - 1.4 mg
Cashew Nuts - 0.9 mg

6 Animal-Based Vitamin E-rich Food Items (Per 100 Grams)

Fish Roe – 7.0 mg
Snails – 5.0 mg
Abalone – 4.0 mg
Dried Cod – 2.8 mg
Atlantic Salmon - 1.1 mg
Lobster – 1.0 mg

6 Best Cooking Oils Rich in Vitamin E (Per 100 Grams)

Wheatgerm Oil – 149 mg
Sunflower Oil - 41 mg
Cottonseed Oil – 35 mg
Rice Bran Oil – 32 mg
Grapeseed Oil – 29 mg
Canola Oil – 18 mg

What Are the Side Effects of Consuming Too Much Vitamin E?

Including vitamin E in your diet is essential. However, over-consumption of this vitamin can pose serious health threats.

Take a look at the side effects of taking too much vitamin E:

Increases the risk of haemorrhagic stroke
Muscle weakness
Fatigue
Nausea
Increases the risk of bleeding
Diarrhoea
Headache
Increases rashes on the skin

Here is a table comprising the recommended dietary proportions of vitamin E across age groups to help you avoid over-consumption –

Age	Vitamin E Intake (mg)
0-6 months	4
1-3 years	6
9-13 years	11
14+ years	15

Please note that pregnant women must consume 15mg of this nutrient regularly and 19mg during their lactation period.

Besides learning about the vitamin E benefits, individuals must keep all the risk factors in mind in case of an overdose. If left untreated, these health conditions may lead to severe consequences. Hence, contact a doctor to avoid additional health complications.

Frequently Asked Questions

All

it safe to consume a vitamin E-rich diet with warfarin?

No, vitamin E may interact with warfarin to cause continuous bleeding since both have blood-thinning properties.

Does vitamin E benefit your hair?

Yes, vitamin E is good for the lipid layer of your hair and gives your hair lustre. It also maintains a healthy scalp by reducing oxidative stress.

What are the advantages of vitamin E oil?

Here are the top 5 advantages of vitamin E oil:

Cures eczema
Moisturises skin
Prevents sunburn
Promotes nail health
Minimises the appearance of scars.