Vitamin E: Meaning, Benefits, Foods, Sources

Vitamins are nutrients we need to consume from food as our body cannot synthesize them or in sufficient amounts. Vitamins are micronutrients required in small quantities for various body processes and overall health. Vitamin E is one such vitamin that is a crucial nutrient that benefits our body in multiple ways.¹

Through this article, you will understand vitamin E Meaning, vitamin E foods, vitamin E benefits and vitamin E sources.

What is Vitamin E? (Vitamin E Meaning)

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. It naturally occurs exists in about eight different forms, with alpha- (or α-) tocopherol being the only form that is acknowledged to meet human needs.²

Here are vitamin E benefits and why understanding vitamin E meaning is important-

• Protects from diseases:

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects against harmful substances called ROS (reactive oxygen species).

• Vision and skin health:

Antioxidant benefit of vitamin E also helps in maintaining good vision and healthy skin. Vitamin E protects the eyes from damage due to harmful substances like ROS. This contributes to maintaining good eyesight in children. Vitamin E protects the skin by aiding in skin cell repair and protects against harmful UV rays, which is important for growing children.

• Nervous system and brain development:

vitamin E is essential for nervous system and brain development. It also supports cognitive function in children.

• Immunity:

strengthening immunity is another one, among vitamin E benefits. Vitamin E decreases production of harmful substances like prostaglandins and supports immune system function^{. 2},³,⁴

After understanding vitamin E meaning and vitamin E benefits, you would want to know what vitamin E sources or vitamin E foods can be included to avail these benefits:

Vitamin E foods:²,⁵,⁶

Following are vitamin E sources that can be included in your child’s diet.

1. Vegetable oils:wheat germ oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, olive oil
2. Nuts and seeds:sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, pinenuts, peanuts, brazil nuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, etc.
3. Vegetables: red bell pepper, pumpkin, broccoli, mustard greens, spinach
4. Fruits:Avocado, kiwi, mango
5. Fortified foods:Some cereals and packaged foods are fortified with vitamin E.

Nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils are among these best vitamin E foods.

Signs of Vitamin E Deficiency

Vitamin E deficiency is rare. It is mostly common in people with fat malabsorption disorders where fat soluble vitamin E is not absorbed well in the intestine. Deficiency symptoms include numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, lack of coordination, balance, and control over voluntary movements like poor coordination of arms, hands, and legs, slurred speech, tremors, muscle pain and weakness, eye problems, difficulty with upward gaze, decreased night vision, low immunity, etc. These symptoms may not be specific to only vitamin E and could be due to a combination of other nutritional deficiencies. It is important to consult a doctor if these symptoms become apparent.²,³

How much Vitamin E do you need?

The age wise recommended daily allowances of Vitamin E are as follows:³

Conclusion

As we have understood from this article, Vitamin E is an important fat soluble vitamin required by our body. There are many Vitamin E benefits and these include protection from various diseases, its role in vision and skin health, brain development, nervous system development, and protection from infections due to its role in immune system functioning. Owing to these important vitamin E benefits, you must include vitamin E sources such as nuts, seeds, vitamin E rich vegetable oils, vitamin E containing fruits and vegetables in your child’s daily diet. Watch out for signs of vitamin E deficiency and seek appropriate treatment as required. Sometimes, you may be unable to meet all the nutritional needs of your child. This could be due to food preferences, or often a child is not able to eat enough to satisfy needs of all nutrients. Nutritional drinks like Complan come in as a good accompaniment to a balanced diet. Complan has 63% higher protein than other malt-based nutritional drink and has a total of 34 vital nutrients essential for your child’s growth and development.