Getting the Best from Vitamin E

Vitamin E is another one of the free radical scavengers. It is a great antioxidant. Remember that free radicals are constantly being produced in your body during normal metabolic activities. I often recommend taking up to 1000 IU (international units) on a daily basis. However, you cannot just jump in and start taking that much. If you do, you could elevate your blood pressure and give yourself headaches.

The best way to increase vitamin E is first to see what you are taking in your daily multi. Let’s say you are taking 200 or 400 IU per day. Buy a bottle of 200 IU capsules. (The best is a mixed tocopherol. It contains all of the aspects of vitamin E.) Add the 200 IU capsule to your daily regimen for 10 days. This will allow your body to acclimate to the new level.

After 10 days add another 200 IU capsule and take that for 10 days.

After that period of time, follow the same routine until you reach your goal of 1000 to 1200 IU on a daily basis.

The beauty of vitamin E is that it keeps working as an antioxidant even when others stop. This is a really important nutrient to incorporate into your program to be healthy.

Processing has substantially reduced the vitamin E content of many foods eaten by Americans. Furthermore, diet high in polyunsaturated fats, like that of most Americans, increases the body’s requirement for vitamin E.

Some other clinical uses of vitamin E that are supported in medical literature include use against premenstrual syndrome symptoms and protection from air pollution.