It’s an antioxidant, so it protects against freeradical damage but also promotes healthy skin, protects cell membranes fromdamage and helps prevent fat and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from oxidising, which makes itimportant for a healthy heart.
How much do you need? 7mg per day.
Where can you get it from? An example is ½ an avocado + 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds+ 1 small mango = 7mg of vitamin E.
You should consider a supplement if heart disease runs in the family,if you’ve been following a very low-fat diet, or live in an area with high airpollution.
Need to know facts:
- “Some people make the mistake of cutting all fatfrom their diet, putting themselves at risk of vitamin E deficiency,” explains naturopath, herbalist and nutritionist from Sydney’s Nature Care CollegeMichelle Avedissian. “As well as introducing foods that contain healthy mono orpolyunsaturated fats, supplementing can be wise.”
- Vitamin E can affect the blood’s ability to clot,so people taking a regular anticoagulant medication (aspirin is a mildanticoagulant, or blood thinner) should avoid vitamin E supplements.
- “Freezing foods can strip them of their vitaminE content, so fresh is best when it comes to dietary sources.”