Experimental studies have demonstrated that vitamin E has antitumor and photoprotective properties, but additional research is needed to develop specific treatment protocols that include the administration of this compound for therapeutic purposes.
Vitamin E and carotenoids
Carotenoids are pigments of red, orange and yellow vegetable lipids, with the role of photoprotective agents (protects the skin from UV rays).
Carotenoids are a class of over 600 natural pigments, of which approximately 50 can be supplied through food, the most important being:
- Beta carotene
- Alpha carotene
- Gamma carotene
- Lycopene
- Zeaxanthin
- Lutein.
Carotenoids are precursors of vitamin A (retinol) with strong antioxidant activity that offers protection against certain pathologies through their ability to neutralize free radicals.
Food supplements with vitamin A and E:
- They support the good functioning of the immune system
- They maintain the health of the skin and eyes
- They slow down the body's physiological aging processes
- Protects against the harmful action of free radicals.
This association between vitamin A and E is recommended for people who adopt restrictive diets, perform demanding physical exercises and those who associate an unbalanced lifestyle.
Foods rich in vitamin E
Vitamin E is found in plants and is introduced into the body by consuming:
- NUTS
- Spinach
- Whole grains
- Olive oil
- Sunflower oil.
8 types of vitamin E α-, β-, γ-, and σ-tocopherols were discovered, of which γ tocopherol is the most abundant in food and their counterparts, tocotrienols.
Vitamin E deficiency can generate:
- Muscle weakness
- Coordination and walking difficulties
- Paresthesias in the fingers
- Blurred vision
- Narrowing of the visual field.
Severe and prolonged vitamin E deficiency can generate:
- Anemia
- Heart disease
- Neurological impairment
- Loss of sight
- Severe cognitive impairment
- Abolition of reflexes
- Loss of the ability to coordinate movements.
Vitamin E intake
In most situations, a balanced diet ensures the body's daily requirement of vitamin E , but there are also cases in which it must be supplemented to meet physiological needs or to make up for the deficit associated with certain pathologies such as Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, abetalipoproteinemia and ataxia with deficiency of vitamin E. These conditions imply the existence of some pathological mechanisms that prevent the proper absorption of fats in the body and implicitly of vitamin E, which is a fat-soluble vitamin.
Supplements with vitamin E can be administered on the recommendation of the family doctor or the attending physician (dermatologist, neurologist, rheumatologist, gastroenterologist) according to the patient's condition and the severity of the manifestations associated with it. The average daily requirement of vitamin E is specific for age and sex classes, being represented by the following values:
- Infants aged between 7 and 11 months: 5 mg
- Children between 1 and 3 years: 6 mg
- Children between 3 and 10 years: 9 mg
- Girls between 10 and 13 years: 11 mg
- Boys between 10 and 18 years: 13 mg
- Female adults: 11 mg
- Male adults: 13 mg.
The benefits of vitamin E for health
The main benefits of vitamin E for the body are represented by:
- Reducing oxidative stress on body cells by inhibiting the synthesis of reactive oxygen species.
- Protecting cell membranes , maintaining the homeostasis of skeletal muscles by promoting the reparative processes of myocytes.
- Prevention of thrombotic accidents by reducing platelet aggregation processes, regulating the synthesis of vascular adhesion molecules VICAM and intracellular ICAM and increasing the synthesis of prostacyclin (vasodilator and platelet antiaggregant).
- Preventing the occurrence of cardiovascular complications by reducing the oxidative processes of low-density lipoproteins and the inflammation associated with their presence in the body; γ tocopherol improves cardiovascular function by increasing the release of nitric oxide with a vasodilating effect.
- The anticancer function of vitamin E is due to its ability to inhibit the synthesis of p53 mutagenic proteins, the antiangiogenic effect (inhibits the formation of new vessels at the level of tumor tissues) and to decrease the synthesis of collagenase 32, which favors the growth of tumors; γ tocopherol inhibits the growth and development of tumor cells by sequestering free radicals, including reactive nitrogen species that generate mutations at the cellular DNA level.
- The delay of the pathological changes that generate the appearance of cataracts in the elderly . Studies have shown that food supplements with vitamin E favor the slowing down of the progression of the pathological processes of opacification of the lens (the lens of the eye with the role of focusing the image).
- Reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease by reducing the formation of beta amyloid plaques in the central nervous system that generate neuronal death and the appearance of the specific manifestations of this disease.
- Ensuring the proper functioning of the immune system - vitamin E is a compound with a strong anti-inflammatory effect that improves humoral and cellular defense function and increases the activity of phagocytes. Vitamin E improves the body's resistance to viral infections and reduces the risk of their recurrence.
Skin elasticity and age
Skin elasticity refers to the ability of the skin to stretch and contract (tighten) without breaking or remaining wrinkled . The elasticity of the skin is influenced by the quantity and quality of collagen and elastin , structural proteins that determine the smoothness and youthful appearance of the skin. With advancing age, the synthesis of collagen and elastin decreases, causing the appearance of wrinkles and unaesthetic skin with a sagging appearance.
In women, entering menopause involves a drop in estrogen levels, the lack of this hormone causing the loss of skin elasticity and firmness. The decrease in sebum production predisposes to the appearance of dehydrated and fragile skin, while the decrease in lymphatic circulation favors the accumulation of toxins with a harmful effect on the skin.
How does vitamin E influence skin elasticity?
Collagen, one of the major structural proteins of the skin and supporting connective tissues that the body synthesizes physiologically, represents approximately 1/3 of the protein composition of the body. Type IV collagen found predominantly in the skin is one of the main components of the tegumental basement membrane and is equally influenced by the action of intrinsic factors (genetics and physiological aging) and extrinsic factors (exposure to ultraviolet rays, smoking and lifestyle).
Both vitamin E, as well as vitamins A and C, support the synthesis of collagen in the skin, being involved at the same time in ensuring the processes of tissue repair and maintaining the hydration of the skin, thus preventing the loss of its elasticity and firmness.
In addition to the physiological processes of aging, excessive exposure to the sun, smoking, improper diet (excess sugar), insufficient rest and alcohol abuse are factors that negatively influence skin elasticity, causing an unaesthetic appearance of the skin.
Adopting a diet rich in vitamins and antioxidants, using sun protection creams and anti-aging care cosmetics are the main assets in maintaining skin health and delaying the appearance of the first signs of aging.
