What Does Vitamin E Do?All Natural Vitamin EThe question "What does vitamin E" is very important as Vitamin E is a very complex, and still relatively unknown nutrient. When I use the term, Vitamin E, I am really referring to a group of compounds that have some strong anti-oxidant abilities. This group consists of tocotrienols and tocopherols which all have the ability to block the destructive processes that occur whenever oxidation is taking place. So - What Does Vitamin E Do?One of its main vitamin e functions is to protect the cell membrane from oxidation damage. Alpha-tocopherol is able to react with the radicals that result with lipid peroxidation chain reactions.
The reaction created by the presence of Alpha-tocopherol can eliminate the free radical intermediaries and this blocks any further oxidation from taking place. Vitamin E deficiency symptoms is not often seen. If they appear, signs like muscle degeneration in skeletal and heart muscle. Testicular abnormalities leading to infertility can also be seen in some individuals and retinal damages caused by oxidation. More Than Just an Antioxidant?Surprisingly there is still much that is unknown about these molecules. Now there are new questions about "What does Vitamin E do?" A number of scientists are posing theories that this vitamin may have other purposes that are actually far more important. Indeed, Vitamin E may actually be necessary for some yet unknown reasons that have no relation to their anti-oxidant activity. Right now there is already a great deal of vitamin e research that is being done to decipher how vitamin E is used to help prevent internal damage to cells when food sources are being transformed into usable energy. Vitamin E also is being studied and researched for its ability to dilate blood vessels; boost immunity; improve blood flow and decrease platelet aggregation which leads to clots and strokes. Several of these abilities can be of its "anti-inflammatory" actions. Tocopherols and TocotrienolsAlpha-tocopherol is the single most researched form of Vitamin E. There are many claims that have been made in relation to this anti-oxidant, and there is also some controversy about its abilities. Gamma-tocopherol is another form of vitamin E. It is classified as a nucleophile, and its main purpose is to react in processes involving electrophilic mutagens. Tocotrienols are even less understood than the tocopherols, but they are the far more potent members of the Vitamin E family. Scientific research has proven that tocotrienols are useful in neuron protection, cholesterol reduction and prevention of cancers. When taken orally these substances have been shown that they can protect cells from the brain damage usually caused by strokes. All Natutal Vitamin EThere are 8 different forms of all natural vitamin E. Each naturally occurring form of Tocopherol and Tocotrienol is identified by its particular chemical structure:
All of these forms have different biological activity levels. Alpha is the only tocopherol form that meets human requirements. The blood levels of this compound are dependent upon the liver which absorbs the vitamin and then releases only the alpha tocopherol compounds back into the body's internal system. Alfa tocooherol is the the "vitamin e". All other forms of Vitamin E are identified, metabolized and excreted by the liver. This has made alpha tocopherol widely available for research and scientific study. The other forms of vitamin E are available in extremely minute amounts and have long been thought to be of little importance to humans. For these reasons there have been very limited studies of these compounds. The next time you hear someone ask "What is E vitamin functions?" you will know that this question has no one definitive answer. More Vitamin E relevant pages
Vitamin E benefits
|
