Vitamin of the Month – Vitamin E

Can you believe it is already September! Summer has sadly come to and end. But, look on the bright side, Eat Chic gets to share a new vitamin of the month with you! September is the month for Vitamin E!

Like vitamin A and D, vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin. It also acts as an antioxidant to defend against free radicals! Check out the Importance of Antioxidants post to learn more about why this is important for your body. Vitamin E reduces the risk of heart disease because it protects LDL cholesterol against oxidation (limiting plaque build-up in arteries) and reduces inflammation.

It is extremely rare that you would see a vitamin E deficiency in humans unless disease or fat malabsorption (such as in those with cystic fibrosis) are present. However, when talking about fat soluable vitamins we always want to be aware of toxicity. Vitamin E supplements are extremely common today and consumers take them to protect thmselves against chronic disease like heart disease. The recommended intake of vitamin E for adults is 15 miligrams (30 IU) a day, but most people (especially smokers) fall short. So, even with the presence of supplements on today’s market, vitamin E toxicity is rare. While toxicity is rare it is important to not that extremely high dosages of vitamin E will interfere with blood-clotting and may lead to hemorrhaging.

Studies have shown that people who regularly consume foods rich in vitamin E have less plaque build up in their arteries and are thererfore at a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease. So where can you get your daily dose of vitamin E? Vitamin E is present in food items high in polyunsaturated plant oils:

• Oils (vegetable, olive, canola, sunflower, safflower oil)
• Wheat Germ
• Seeds
• Nuts
• Margarine and Shortening
• Salad dressings
• Liver
• Fatty Meats
• Egg Yolks
• Leafy green vegetables
• Whole grains

So cook your meals with vegetable oils and snack on some nuts to reap the benefits of vitamin E and protect your heart from disease today!

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