Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a group of eight fat-soluble compounds that include both tocopherols and tocotrienols. Of the many different forms of vitamin E, γ-tocopherol is the most common in the North American diet. γ-Tocopherol can be found in corn oil, soybean oil and margarine. α-tocopherol, the most biologically active form of vitamin E, is the second-most common form of vitamin E in the diet. It can be found in wheat sunflower oil, gem oil and safflower oils. As a fat-soluble antioxidant, it stops the production of reactive oxygen species formed when fat undergoes oxidation.

Benefit of  Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an powerful antioxidant which important to cell membranes. Vitamin E helps prevent cancer, heart disease, strokes, cataracts, and possibly some of the signs of aging.

Vitamin E protects artery walls and keeps the "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from being oxidized. Oxidation of LDL cholesterol marks the beginning of clogged arteries. Vitamin E also keeps the blood thin by preventing blood platelets from clumping together.

High levels of vitamin E in the body decrease the risk of a non-fatal heart attack or stroke in most people.The effect of vitamin E in preventing heart disease may be both timing-sensitive and dose sensitive with betacarotene.

Vitamin E protects cells and DNA from damage that can turn cancerous. It reduces the growth of tumors while enhancing immune function and preventing precancerous substances from being turned into carcinogens.

Vitamin E also acts as an antioxidant in foods. The vitamin E in vegetable oils helps keep them from being oxidized and turning rancid.

Vitamin E keeps the nervous system healthy by protecting the myelin sheaths that surround nerves. It also appears to prevent mental degeneration due to aging, including Alzheimer disease.

A daily dose of vitamin E has been shown to be effective in slowing functional decline in patients with mild -to-moderate Alzheimer's disease(AD). It also reduced the time caregivers spent in assisting the patients.

Vitamin E can be beneficial to people with diabetes. It enhances the action of insulin and improves blood glucose metabolism by reducing oxidative stress.

Vitamin E are divided into two groups; four are tocopherols and four are tocotrienols. They are identified by prefixes alpha- (α-), beta- (β-), gamma- (γ-), and delta- (δ-). Natural tocopherols occur in the RRR-configuration only. The synthetic form contains eight different stereoisomers and is called 'all-rac'-α-tocopherol.