d-Alpha-Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

VITAMIN E - Tocopherol Key to hair health, nail
growth and supple skin by supplying oxygen to the body
and improving circulation. Helps combat dandruff. May
aid in preventing hair loss.

Vitamin E was the fifth vitamin discovered when researchers found that a dietary deficiency in laboratory rats produced fetal death in pregnant females. The name "tocopherol" was derived from the Greek words for childbirth (tos), to bring forth (phero), and the chemical designation for an alcohol (ol). Vitamin E exerts an especially important antioxidant effect in the lungs where the cells are exposed to high oxygen concentrations that can destroy molecules in their membranes. Vitamin E acts as a co-enzyme in cellular membranes and serves as a scavenger for free radicals that are destructive to the membrane and internal cellular components. Vitamin E may also help defend against heart disease. Normal nerve development also depends on Vitamin E, and the vitamin protects the white blood cells that defend the body against disease and may play other roles in normal immunity.  Although vitamin E is stored in the body, overdoses appear to have lower toxic effects than do overdoses of other fat-soluble vitamins. Natural sources of vitamin E are vegetable oils, sunflower seeds, almonds, and peanuts.

Recommended Dietary Allowances: Men = 40 IU; Women = 30 IU; Pregnant or Nursing Women = 15 IU (10 mg)

IMPORTANCE:

• Major anti-oxidant nutrient
• retards cellular aging due to oxidation
• supplies oxygen to the blood which is then carried to the heart and other organs thus alleviating fatigue
• aids in bringing nourishment to cells
• strengthens the capillary walls & prevents the red blood cells from destructive poisons
• prevents & dissolves blood clots
• has also been used by doctors in helping prevent sterility, muscular dystrophy, calcium deposits in blood walls and heart conditions.

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS:

• rupture of red blood cells
• loss of reproductive powers
• lack of sexual vitality
• abnormal fat deposits in muscles
• degenerative changes in the changes in the heart and other muscles
• dry skin.