Can Vitamin E Be Obtained Through Diet?
Vitamin E is known to benefit not only the immune system, but it is known to impact long-term even eye, brain, and skin health positively. The fat-soluble vitamin, mainly tocopherol or vitamin E is advised to be ideally consumed with dietary fat according to current nutrition research. This is because vitamin E is more efficiently transported and used throughout the body when consumed alongside the daily dietary fats. Vitamin E is most naturally found in many natural foods containing fats. Common examples include fatty vegetable oils, eggs, meat, poultry, and even some nuts. Vitamin E is commonly found in greens like broccoli, and spinach and in some fruits like kiwifruit, mango, and even in tomato. After vitamin E is absorbed into the small intestine, it is then eventually utilized by the liver, where it is stored. When the body needs vitamin E, small amounts are secreted from the liver for circulation. The liver only secretes the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E, which is utilized for bodily immunity and multi-organ health.
When Is a Vitamin E Deficiency Possible?
Usually, vitamin E deficiency is considered to be rare. However, case reports exist in the medical literature regarding vitamin E deficiencies that can impact immunity and metabolism. This is why meeting the daily vitamin E nutrition requirements is crucial to sustaining health and preventing chronic disease or illnesses. There are only a few situations where a vitamin E deficiency would be considered a possibility. One of the instances is in newborn premature babies with very low birth weight. Individuals such as those with Crohn's disease, certain malabsorption disorders, or a history of cystic fibrosis, one’s body as such cannot absorb this vitamin efficiently, which can lead then to a deficiency. In such cases or rare situations, the physician, neonatologist, or professional healthcare provider like a nutritionist can correctly advise or recommend what dietary fats should be incorporated or supplementation to be introduced into the diet to prevent immune complications arising out of vitamin E deficiency.
What Are the Health Implications?
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Because vitamin E, or alpha-tocopherol, is primarily a fat-soluble vitamin, it is absorbed in healthy individuals without any difficulty. After being absorbed, the function of vitamin E is to give cellular immunity and to act as a powerful antioxidant that can prevent damage from the free radicals causing cancers and chronic diseases. The harmful free radicals in the cells are responsible for producing cellular alterations as a result of oxidative stress, which is the main underlying pathogenesis that is implicated in the formation of cancers or tumors (according to medical literature).
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According to a major research review that was published in the Journal of Lipid Research, the administration of oral vitamin E supplements could possibly be cardioprotective for individuals having high levels of oxidative stress, for type 2 diabetes patients, and can help those patients undergoing hemodialysis.
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Vitamin E is mainly important for sustaining one’s neuro or brain, eye health, immune health, and overall cardiovascular heart health. The nutrients obtained through diet would possibly prevent an individual predisposition to cardiovascular disease, age-related macular degeneration, eye disorders, improvement in neurocognitive functions, and possibly protection against specific cancers.
Why Safety Concerns Exist for Supplements?
Contradictions exist in terms of scientific research. While some research findings suggest that supplementation with vitamin E would possibly prevent the long-term predisposition to develop coronary heart disease, this investigation is limited in scope and needs further exploration. Preliminary medical research indicates that vitamin E intake regularly cannot improve any cardiovascular risk factors. A contradictory scientific finding opposing the benefits of vitamin E for cardiovascular health was established in 2019. It showed that supplementing with vitamin E may have adverse effects on individuals who have coronary artery disease (CAD). Further, the study claimed that a risk factor can exist for coronary artery disease in predisposing individuals in the long term when supplemented with vitamin E.
Suppose the physician, health care provider, or cardiologist is giving or recommending a vitamin E supplement to improve heart health. In that case, it is usually in correlation to improving systemic health and is deemed extremely safe for intake according to current nutrition and medical research. If one wants to regularly incorporate vitamin E in supplement form, however, it is wiser to consult the cardiologist or nutritionist before doing so, to prevent adverse effects.
According to the information given by the American Heart Association, the usage of vitamin E supplements to prevent cardiovascular disease has been associated with an increase in total mortality, cardiac failure, and possibly the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
What Is the Future Research in Vitamin E?
Research reviews indicate that while a lower amount of vitamin E in the body can certainly be associated with an increased risk of developing cancers, it also depends on the bioavailability of vitamin E for the body. Current medical research is now focusing on vitamin E, that is tocopherols and tocotrienol compounds in preventing cancer risk. A specific compound known as gamma-tocopherol, which is a rich mix of vitamin E tocopherols in the laboratory is known to be a futuristic promising anti-cancer agent.
What Are the Interactions and Effects of Supplements?
Vitamin E is also considered safe in pregnancy and in lactation with safety concerns existing in some individuals and with limited evidence. Large doses of vitamin E greater than the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) of 300 IUs (international units) per single day can not only put an individual at a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke, as elaborated earlier, but it can also trigger possible side effects such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping or stomach pain, diarrhea, and more. Further, it can interact with blood thinner medications like Warfarin (Coumadin), immunosuppressants like Cyclosporine, statin drugs, chemotherapeutic drugs, and others. Hence, if one is taking any systemic medications for these conditions or undergoing a surgical procedure, it is best to abstain from vitamin E supplementation altogether.
Conclusion
Hence, considerable doubt exists on the integrity of vitamin E supplements in the long term for cardiac health. There is no doubt through scientific research that obtaining vitamin E through the diet can provide heart-healthy antioxidants and nutrients. Therefore, it is important to consume vitamin E-rich foods for sustaining cardiac health rather than depend on supplements, as long-term safety concerns exist with supplements.
