The term vitamin was introduced in 1913 by C. Funk and indicates a class of substances essential for life but that have to be introduced into our bodies thanks to external sources, in particular food. An exception is given by vitamin D which is synthesized, for the most part, thanks to the sun. Today, we see in detail a type of fat soluble vitamin, the vitamin E. Vitamin E, or tocopherol, is fat-soluble and can be stored by the body and released when necessary, unlike water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and protects the body from attacks and damages of free radicals caused by respiration, poor diet, pollution, radiation exposure, including solar radiation, cigarette smoke and alcohol. In addition to this, it also plays a role in protecting the cell membrane from the aggression of toxic substances and stabilizes and protects vitamin C. But Vitamin E would also have another role, according to a scientific study published a few years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association by a team of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. Vitamin E, indeed, should be able to slow down by 19% the brain functional decline in case of mild to moderate Alzheimer (Dysken et al, JAMA, 2014). Finally, thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, vitamin E also plays a protective role on the cardiovascular system by reducing the oxidation of lipids and inhibiting platelet aggregation (Singh et al, Annu Rev Nutr, 2005 but also Clarke et al, Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci, 2008). As for the daily intake of vitamin E, this is about 8-10 mg for an adult. The primary and preferred source is always the food, however cooking at high temperatures, such as frying and oven, reduces the vitamin E, which is sensitive to heat, even the freezing reduces the amount of vitamin E. Let’s see the list of food sources of vitamin E.
Food very rich in vitamin E (> 50mg/100 g)
Wheat germ oil, sunflower oil.
Foods rich in vitamin E (10-50 mg / 100 g)
Corn oil, peanut oil, olive oil, soy oil, almonds, hazelnuts.
Foods with a low vitamin E content (< 10 mg / 100 g)
Brown rice, carrot, apple, lettuce, cow's milk, avocado, cashews, butter, whole-milk yoghurt.
