When you cannot get enough Vitamin E in your diet, supplements can be an effective way of meeting your daily requirements. However, not all supplements are created equal.
Vitamin E is safe when taken in amounts of 400 IU daily, even for prolonged periods of time. Amounts significantly larger than this might delay blood clotting, possibly causing an increased risk of stroke or uncontrolled bleeding in the event of an accident. Because of this possibility, people on anticoagulant therapy (blood thinners) should not take large doses of vitamin E.
For vitamin E's heart-health benefits, daily doses of 400 IU are most commonly recommended, but amounts as low as 100 IU each day can still help prevent some of these problems. For fibrocystic breast disease, 400 to 600 IU of vitamin E per day is a common dosage range.
Look for supplements of d-alpha-tocopherol containing mixed tocopherols. This will give you some of the other forms of vitamin E that have strong antioxidant power. Avoid "dl" tocopherol preparations, as they are synthetic and not recognized by the body.
Vitamin E has been gaining popularity lately, but it is still not as widely known as most of the other vitamins. Hopefully now you know why you need vitamin E and how you can introduce it into your diet.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jennifer Brett, N.D. is director of the Acupuncture Institute for the University of Bridgeport, where she also serves on the faculty for the College of Naturopathic Medicine. A recognized leader in her field with an extensive background in treating a wide variety of disorders utilizing nutritional and botanical remedies, Dr. Brett has appeared on WABC TV (NYC) and on Good Morning America to discuss utilizing herbs for health.
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