Vitamin E is an antioxidant, that is, it dissolves in fat and is essential for the body because it cleanses it. Being an antioxidant helps the body to prevent toxic molecules from forming. As most foods contain it, so its intake is not in large quantities and if so desired, it would have to be consumed through food supplements. Its excessive consumption can produce nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, headache and stomach or blood loss.
The benefits of vitamin E are varied and help almost all organs of the body, from the brain to the kidney, through the heart or lungs. As in all, excessive consumption, removing certain cases of illness or extreme physical exercise, are not good, as well as its reduced consumption, which will make our body does not receive that extra help it provides.
Its excess can be bad for the bones and it weakens the bone mass. For those who have bleeding problems did not want to have a good idea, because one of the side effects of excessive consumption is blood loss. In the same way that for people with heart problems, an amount higher than 400 IU/L is not recommended.
According to age, the amount you should consume is the following:
- Minors to one year: 5 milligrams per day
- From 1-3 years: 6 milligrams per day
- From 4 to 8 years: 7 milligrams per day
- From 9 to 14 years: 11 milligrams per day
- Adults (over 14 years old): 15 milligrams per day
- Pregnant women: 19 milligrams per day
For older people, it consumption is very beneficial, because although it can no longer avoid having wrinkles or their system work worse than that of a young person, what the consumption of the minimum intake of vitamin E can do is that their body do not get worse, help prevent bone fractures and strengthen immune system so that, for example, when you get a disease or a cold, the effects of it are not so strong in your body and recovery is faster. In case you want to increase your immune system, the daily recommended intake is 25 to 200 milligrams.
In the same way that it has benefits and side effects, there are also consequences in case that its consumption is not the minimum required. Something complex since many basic foods contain vitamin E. Some of the problems that can produce their reduced consumption are: appearance of edemas, premature aging, problems of concentration, breathing difficulties, serious kidney lesions, muscle degeneration or problems in reproduction, among others.
Benefits of increasing Vitamin E intake
Antioxidant
It is protects cells from toxic compounds and thereby prevents body tissues from wearing out. This is the reason why it is called the vitamin of youth and health, because protecting the tissues and preventing their aging seems to be the vitamin of eternal life. Its consumption makes the features of age as characteristic as wrinkles are reduced. Regardless of the fact that you take it in food, you can also apply it directly on the skin to favor this benefit.
Brightness
Its consumption is noticeable in the skin and in the hair. That it is the vitamin of youth is the direct result of the increase of the shine of the hair and the good health of the dermis. To promote these benefits, there are capsules sold in pharmacies or herbalists that are applied directly to the skin and hair or mixed as an ingredient in a mask.
Acne
Not only helps the skin look brighter, with more life and less wrinkles, its consumption also reduces the appearance of uncomfortable pimples on the face.
Prevention of Parkinson’s
The antioxidant power also protects brain cells and since Parkinson’s is caused by the aging of 80% of brain cells, vitamin E makes aging slower and less abrupt, so it protects future damaged cells.
Reduce Alzheimer’s
As with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s is caused by the degeneration of brain cells. A high consumption of vitamin E protects the cell membrane and delays its appearance.
Prevention of prostate cancer
It has not been confirmed either, but it is believed that small doses of vitamin E help prevent prostate cancer.
Menstrual problems
Its consumption helps menstrual pain to be lower. It also can shorten your periods and premenstrual syndrome is not as strong as usual.
Fight infections
Another benefit is that it helps to create defense cells, very beneficial when there is an infection. When you are constipated, have caught a flu or have a viral illness, the best thing you can do is consume the foods that have the highest percentage of vitamin E, such as nuts, eggs, oils or green leafy vegetables. Protective Vitamin E protects the membranes of the nerves, the cardiovascular system and the muscles.
Fertility
It favors the production of sperm and the formation of the ovules, so that its consumption can help a woman’s pregnancy. In addition, if it continues to be consumed in large quantities during pregnancy, it helps the correct functioning of the placenta.
Lung problems
Most organs receive the benefits of vitamin E, and the lung is another of them. For people who frequently consume tobacco and alcohol, this vitamin helps to reduce the damage caused in the body.
Bones
Vitamin E is very good for seniors, as it prevents fractures so common in their body. It also helps them improve their immune system in general, so for the elderly it is very beneficial to pay attention to the minimum intake. Lack of vitamin D also cause bone density and weak bones.
How to increase Vitamin E intake
Consult a specialist. If you want to increase your intake of vitamin E, go to a doctor and explain your needs. It is not the same as you want to increase the amount because you are going to do a lot of sport, because you want to delay the appearance of wrinkles.
Carefully. As everything that is an extra contribution and that can have side effects, we must be very careful with their consumption, especially in excess. In principle, increasing the amount of vitamin E does not have any risk; the problem comes if you suffer from some type of illness to which the effects of the vitamin do not suit you.
Right amount. Depending on the age group you are in, take the daily amount that suits you. It is better that you surpass a little to that you stay short, because to be an excess you must exceed the normal dose in 10 times.
Avoid your deficiency. The benefits of the consumption of vitamin E do not go to reduce the greater the amount ingested, but when its consumption is lower than usual. In those cases it is when the body reflects what happens when you do not take it, therefore, the benefits that came with it when the levels were optimal.
Pharmacy. If you are interested in increasing the amount of vitamin E that you eat to reduce acne problems or improve the appearance of your hair, the best thing you can do is not increase the intake of the vitamin, but the application of it. That is, go to a pharmacy or herbalist and ask for vitamin E capsules, when you have them you can make a mask for your face and hair and start noticing the results in a short time.
Elderly. In this case it is important that the amount even exceed the recommended 15 milligrams a day, because in them vitamin E what it does is help your immune system to be strong to prevent diseases and recoveries from being so long.
Long time. The abuse of higher amounts of vitamin E have been linked to mortality. And it is that during a specific period, and under medical supervision, it is not bad to increase the dose, but if the time is prolonged, it can end up harming the organism. To be harmful to the body, the time that would have to be subject to a higher intake is just over a year.