Benefits of vitamin e capsules
Benefits of vitamin E for men
Vitamin E may be effective in enhancing fertility in men, by increasing sperm motility due to its role as an antioxidant. A study published in the Arab Journal of Urology in 2018 showed that antioxidants may positively affect male fertility.
An overview of vitamin E
Vitamin E, or what is known as vitamin E, is one of the most important antioxidants that fight free radicals, bacteria, and viruses in the body, in addition to supporting the immune system, cell functions, and maintaining healthy skin. And it protects it from damage caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, and it also dilates blood vessels, which reduces the formation of blood clots, and vitamin E is one of the fat-soluble vitamins, and it is available in many foods, including nuts and seeds, such as sunflower seeds, and beans. Peanuts, peanut butter, and vegetable oils, such as sunflower oil, and wheat germ oil, as well as broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, kiwi, and mango. It is worth noting that vitamin E is available as a food supplement in its two sources. natural, known as d-alpha-tocopherol, and industrial, known as dl-alpha-tocopherol, and the natural source is more effective, and the deficiency of this vitamin occurs in people who suffer from severe fat malabsorption, or as a result of rare genetic disorders, so do not Its deficiency is a problem for healthy people, even when consumed in small quantities.
The daily requirement of vitamin E
The following table shows the daily needs of vitamin E according to the age group:
| age | The daily requirement of vitamin E (in milligrams) | the daily requirement of vitamin E (in international units) |
|---|---|---|
| Infants from 0 to 6 months | 4 | 6 |
| Infants from 7 to 12 months | 5 | 7.5 |
| Children from 1 to 3 years old | 6 | 9 |
| Children from 4 to 8 years old | 7 | 10.4 |
| Children from 9 to 13 years old | 11 | 16.4 |
| Persons 14 years and over | 15 | 22.4 |
| Breastfeeding | 19 | 28.4 |
Sources of vitamin E
All forms of vitamin E are available naturally in most plant sources in varying quantities, but the richest sources are cooking oils, seeds, and whole grains. Vitamin E is also available in some types of vegetables, meat, poultry, and fish, and some foods may be fortified with it; such as fortified breakfast cereals and some juices.
Vitamin E deficiency
Vitamin E deficiency in the body is common in developing countries, and the risk of deficiency increases in the following cases:
- Not getting enough of it through food, and may happen when following a low-fat diet.
- Infection with some pathological conditions that cause malabsorption of fats, such as liver disorders, gallbladder, pancreatitis, and cystic fibrosis.
- newborn babies; As they do not have sufficient amounts of vitamin E in their bodies, some children may be born suffering from a vitamin E deficiency, but these levels usually improve with age. Because they eat breast milk, or infant formula, which usually contains sufficient amounts of this vitamin.
It is worth noting that a deficiency of vitamin E in children may lead to the emergence of some symptoms, such as a decrease in the speed of reactions, loss of balance, weakness in local sensation, difficulty in walking, muscle weakness, and the deficiency of this vitamin in premature babies may lead to An increased risk of bleeding in the brain, or abnormal growth of blood vessels in the eye, which is known as retinopathy in premature babies and may increase the risk of hemolytic anemia in them, but these symptoms rarely occur in adults; Because vitamin E is stored in sufficient quantities in their fatty tissues.
Vitamin E damage
Vitamin-E safety level
Vitamin E is often considered safe when ingested, and usually, no side effects appear when consumed in the recommended daily amount, and excessive intake is likely to be unsafe. Heart patients and diabetes are advised not to take more than 400 international units of it per day. Taking it up to 800 IU per day increases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke by 22%, and some side effects can occur when it is taken excessively, such as nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps, exhaustion, fatigue, headache, blurred vision, and rash. cutaneous, bleeding.
Contraindications for the use of vitamin E
There are some caveats associated with taking vitamin E, and we mention the following:
- Pregnant woman: It is possible that vitamin E is safe to take within the daily needs of a pregnant woman unless it is taken as a nutritional supplement in the first months of pregnancy. it may harm the fetus, so you should consult a doctor before taking vitamin E capsules during pregnancy.
- Breastfeeding: It is often safe for a breastfeeding woman to take vitamin E as part of her daily needs.
- Infants and children: Vitamin E intake is considered within the daily needs of infants and children, and the safe dose depends on age. It is worth noting that intravenous vitamin E injections in high doses may not be safe for premature babies.
- Some medical conditions: A doctor should be consulted before taking vitamin E, especially as a dietary supplement in some medical conditions, such as angioplasty to widen a blocked blood vessel, bleeding disorders, diabetes, head and neck cancer, liver disease, heart attacks, osteoporosis, and prostate cancer, undergoing surgeries, and cases of vitamin K deficiency.
Types of vitamin E
The name vitamin E is given to a group of eight chemical compounds, namely: alpha-tocopherol, beta-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, delta-tocopherol, alpha-tocotrienol, beta-tocotrienol, gamma-tocotrienol, and delta-tocotrienol. Alpha-tocopherol is the only one that can meet the needs of the human body for vitamin E, so the body converts all other forms of vitamin E into alpha-tocopherol so that it can benefit from it, and most vitamin E supplements contain alpha-tocopherol, but some may contain other forms other for vitamin E.
Does Vitamin E make you gain weight?
It is believed that taking large amounts of vitamin E supplements may cause weight gain, but studies did not find this. On the contrary, it was found that those who suffer from metabolic syndrome - which is associated with weight gain - need more amounts of vitamin E, and scientists believe That the tissues refuse to receive some of the fats in the bodies of people who suffer from obesity because they have large amounts of them, which reduces the entry of vitamin E into these tissues as it is a fat-soluble vitamin, and although this study is not sufficient to confirm these results, experts They advise people with metabolic syndrome to get adequate amounts of vitamin E.