Vitamin E (Tocopherol) - what is it?
Vitamin E, New RDA* 12 mg α-TE
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. This means you don't need it every day because any of the vitamins your body doesn't need immediately is stored for future use.
Vitamin E is synthesised only by plants and is, therefore, found primarily in plant products, the richest source being plant oils. All higher plants (that is plants other than algae) appear to contain α-tocopherol in leaves and other green parts, while γ-tocopherol is generally present in lower concentrations. Animal tissues tend to have low concentrations of vitamin E, with the highest levels occurring in fatty tissues though this varies according to the intake of vitamin E.
*Sourced from EFSA WEBSITE
Vitamin E - what does it do?
Acts as an antioxidant and protects the cells in our bodies against damage.
It is unclear whether vitamin E functions solely as a lipid antioxidant, or whether it might also be required for the function of some other critical, but unknown metabolic factor. However, current information suggests that the effects of vitamin E are consistent with an antioxidant role. In this regard, vitamin E is thought to have basic functional importance in the maintenance of membrane integrity in virtually all cells of the body. Non-antioxidant functions have also been proposed for α- but not ß-tocopherol including modification of gene transcription and expression.
Deficiency
The clinical manifestations of vitamin E deficiency vary considerably between species. In general, the targets are the neuromuscular, vascular and reproductive systems. The various signs of vitamin E deficiency are believed to be manifestations of membrane dysfunction, resulting from oxidative degradation of polyunsaturated membrane phospholipids and/or the disruption of other critical cellular processes.
Vitamin E - Sources
Vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.
