Which vitamin can function as an antioxidant?

There’s nothing like a good antioxidant to keep you healthy and happy. And when it comes to vitamins, there’s one that reigns supreme: vitamin E!

What are antioxidants?

Before we dive into the specifics of vitamin E, let’s take a quick look at what exactly antioxidants are. An antioxidant is any substance that can prevent or slow damage caused by free radicals in your body. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules – they’ll bond with just about anything they come across, including your cells and DNA! This can lead to all sorts of problems, like heart disease and cancer.

Fortunately for us, our bodies have built-in defense mechanisms against these pesky free radicals. One of which involves using substances called antioxidants to neutralize them before they cause too much harm.

How does vitamin E work as an antioxidant?

So why is vitamin E such a great antioxidant? Well for starters, it’s fat-soluble meaning it can work its magic on both the cell membrane outside of cells and inside fatty tissue within cells!

Vitamin E works by donating electrons to free radicals without itself becoming unstable or being damaged in the process – making sure these e-coffers balance out before any harm occurs- who knew vitamins could be so selfless?

It also has been said that vitamin C helps return Vitamin-e back from their own ‘deactivated’ forms thus letting “the show go on” .

On top of all that,it has other health benefits like improving brain function,fighting inflammation,reducing oxidative stress , etc – this multitasking nutrient just keeps getting better!

Types Of Vitamin-E

In nature,Vitamin-E refers not merely one,singular compound but instead generically represents 8 different compounds broken up into two categories:

Tocopherols-

Tocopherols consists α-, β-, γ-, δ-tocopherals. As per a research review(2014) done by JAPHMA and Elsevier B.V., α-tocopherol is the most bioactive one amongst all of these.

Tocotrienols

Just like tocopherols,there are four types of tocotrienols- α-, β-, γ-, δ-tocotrienals with each having its own benefits to offer.

Personally,I think that’s a lotta’ health packed in some teeny tiny letters and numbers!

Sources Of Vitamin E

Vitamin E can be found in a variety of foods including seeds,nuts,vegetable oils,broccoli etc but since it easily oxidizes when exposed to heat or light- consuming vitamin-E-rich food-Avocado toast anyone?,alongside cheese , tomato and balsamic vinegar could be your new breakfast staple has become increasingly important for us as our diet goes through an overhaul from home-cooked meals to processed alternatives.

How much do you need?

The recommended dietary intake (RDI) for vitamin E varies depending on age:

Age Group RDA
0–6 months 4 mg/day
7–12 months 5 mg/day
1–3 years 6 mg/day
4–8 years 7 mg/day
Male age >14
Teenagers: 11mg
Adults+ :
Teenagers:
           Adults+:

Taking more than this amount daily could lead to excessive bleeding tendencies,fatigue and other long term health hazards.

“Vitamin E Can Cause Bleeding.They Said.”

Notice how the previous section mentioned bleeding tendencies? That’s a genuine issue, but one that needs to be taken in perspective. When discussing the anticoagulant effect of Vitamin-e,RDA is kept as reference. However,intake of 2000IU/day (or more) external supplementtion- which is much much higher than RDA- has been seen to increase the risk for excessive bleeding whereas upto atleast up 1000 IU/d an oral supplementation show little or no change in blood clotting capacity- esp if you’re watching your intake and aware of supplements going into your system.

The Bottom Line

So there you have it – vitamin E really does pack quite a punch when it comes to being an antioxidant! And with so many sources available,there’s truly no excuse not getting enough of this amazing nutrient! So feel free to indulge those cravings-combine some good ol’ fruits (like kiwis or mangoes) along with plant oils rich in e-nutrients(black seed oil)-just remember moderation can go a looong way!

But, as always before considering any major dietary changes,it’s better safe than sorry; consider consulting your healthcare provider first would also do well:)

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