Uses of Vitamin E

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Ho Viet Le Diem - General Internal Medicine - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, playing a very important role in human health, especially in the beauty of women.

1. What is the effect of taking vitamin E?

Taking vitamin E will help prevent vitamin E deficiency or treat a disease that requires vitamin E supplementation. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that is very important to the body.
Vitamin E helps smooth, youthful skin, limiting wrinkles. Dry, wrinkled, lifeless skin, dry and brittle hair are often caused by vitamin E deficiency. Therefore, in most skin and hair care products, manufacturers often include vitamin E in the ingredients.
Normally, skin that is directly exposed to the sun will be damaged by ultraviolet rays, making the skin dark, losing elasticity, sagging skin, causing the face to become old. Beyond the age of 30, the higher the degree of skin aging, the excess free radicals will make the skin quickly damaged. Supplementing with vitamin E is an effective method to help improve the above condition, reduce the aging process, and bring youthful beauty, especially for women.
Pregnant women taking vitamin E will help the development of the fetus. Vitamin E helps the uterus of girls to grow and limit testicular atrophy in boys. In addition, vitamin E also contributes to reducing the rate of premature birth or miscarriage, ensuring safety for both pregnant mother and fetus. Many women during pregnancy will have stretch marks, the skin will deteriorate noticeably. Supplementing with vitamin E during pregnancy will help pregnant women's skin be more beautiful, prevent and limit stretch marks, and help pregnant women be more confident in communication and daily life.
Many studies also show that vitamin E is very beneficial for women in menopause. Women in this period will experience symptoms of hot flashes, menstrual disorders... Vitamin E will help reduce symptoms, help women feel more comfortable, and stabilize their psychology.
For teenage girls, taking vitamin E will help reduce symptoms of dysmenorrhea during each menstrual cycle.

2. Does taking vitamin E have any side effects?

Vitamin E is quite safe for the human body. Excess vitamin E will be quickly eliminated by the body, almost without affecting health, with no side effects when used in the right dose.
On average, an adult needs about 100-400 IU of vitamin E/day. High doses of vitamin E can cause side effects. Common side effects include:
Fatigue Headache Nausea or vomiting Mild rash Some more serious side effects can be experienced when taking vitamin E such as:
Abdominal pain Diarrhea Body weakness Gastrointestinal disorders Headache, dizziness, affecting vision The person has no energy, feels like fainting Easy bruising, bleeding These symptoms may go away when you stop taking vitamin E. If you have stopped taking and still do not get better or experience more severe symptoms, you need to see a hospital as soon as possible. If you experience any side effects when using vitamin E, you should consult your doctor whether to continue taking it or not.
An overdose of vitamin E not only does not help with the aging process of skin and hair, but also accelerates this process by destroying antioxidants.
People who are using vitamin E for a long time also need to pay attention to drug interactions with some other drugs. Vitamin E can antagonize vitamin K and increase blood clotting time. Taking vitamin E with aspirin may interfere with platelet aggregation. Long-term use of vitamin E in doses of more than 400 IU/day, combined with estrogen, can cause blood clots.
Therefore, when using vitamin E, it is necessary to note the dosage and instructions of the manufacturer, do not abuse vitamin E.

3. Foods high in vitamin E

In addition to supplementing vitamin E in the form of synthetic drugs, you can supplement vitamin E through daily foods. This is the safest and most effective way to supplement vitamin E.
Vitamin E is found in many vegetable oils such as: wheat germ, sunflower oil, soybean, rice germ, bean sprouts, green vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, milk, fruit... Specifically :
Broccoli: Broccoli contains a lot of vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate which is very good for the body Avocado: On average, an avocado contains about 4mg of vitamin E Almonds: In 100g of almonds, there are more than 26mg of vitamin A E. Therefore, you can use fresh almonds, almond milk... every day to supplement vitamin E for the body. Radish: Radishes contain about 17% of the amount of vitamin E needed by the body in a day. Chestnuts: Chestnuts are an abundant source of vitamin E for the body Spinach: In addition to vitamin E, spinach also contains many other antioxidants, which help with the beauty process of women... An adult's daily vitamin E intake is about 15mg. Note that incorporating foods rich in vitamin E in the daily diet will help provide the necessary amount of vitamin E without the need to use additional oral vitamin E. Except for special subjects such as: sick people who need vitamin E supplements, people with dry skin, people with cardiovascular disease, cancer, pregnant women...

4. The most effective way to supplement vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, the absorption of vitamin E takes place in the middle of the small intestine. It is closely related to the digestion of fat and requires bile salts and pancreatic lipase to absorb. at the same time as fats, through the lymphatic system to the circulatory system. Therefore, in order to absorb vitamin E most effectively, it is necessary to have enough fat and fat. For example, bean sprouts contain a lot of vitamin E, but if eaten raw, the amount of vitamin E that the body can absorb is very little. If you eat sprouts mixed with cooking oil or fried sprouts, the body will absorb more.

5. Notes when supplementing with vitamin E

Vitamin E is very good for the body and is quite safe to use, but you should not abuse vitamin E for beauty purposes because it can create many bad effects on health. If supplementing with high doses of vitamin E for a long time causes an excess of vitamin E, it will cause the destruction of antioxidants and damage to cells. Some studies have shown that high doses of vitamin E can increase the risk of lung cancer. Intravenous high doses of vitamin E can be fatal.
Do not take vitamin E supplements for a long time. Women after 30 years of age supplementing with vitamin E for beauty purposes should only take it for 1-2 months, then stop for a while and then use it again.
Not everyone should supplement with synthetic vitamin E because the amount of vitamin E needed by the body every day can be easily supplemented through food. Only people with disease, dry skin, brittle hair, or those prescribed by a doctor should take vitamin E, especially patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, cancer, kidney failure. ... Normal healthy people should supplement vitamin E with food.
When taking vitamin E, it is necessary to carefully read the instructions for use, the manufacturer's recommendations, the doctor's indications and adhere to the correct dosage and appropriate time, especially with vitamin E solution.
Vitamin E topical should only be used by people with dry, aging skin. If you apply vitamin E on oily skin, it can cause acne.
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