Foods Which Contain Vitamin E

Vitamin E benefits have long been neglected, all the way out there on the fringes of the alphabet. Vitamin's A and C get front row seats to the nutrient show, while poor old vitamin E's benefits are often an afterthought in people's minds.

If you're serious about disease prevention and beauty, though, it's time to invite vitamin E in from the cold.

Vitamin E Benefits

Most of the vitamin E's benefits are down to it's potent antioxidant qualities. Vitamin E combines with oxygen to destroy dangerous levels of free radicals in any living organism. These free radicals, if left unchecked, can cause all kinds of damage to the human body, some types minor, some more profound, vitamin E benefits reduce levels of free radicals in the body.

Studies, such as one conducted by the National Cancer Institute, show that regular intake of antioxidants decreases the chances of developing many major health conditions. Green tea, acai berries and other foods that contain high levels of vitamin E are believed to help prevent such serious diseases, including strokes, heart disease, cancer and even signs of ageing. Vitamin E oil can also reverse certain aspects of ageing and premature ageing in some people.

Vitamin E Foods & Supplements

Like virtually all vitamins and minerals, Vitamin E foods are widely available as supplements that contain vitamin E and extract of vitamin E. If you require a high amount of vitamin E for medical reasons, or you're intolerant or allergic to most foods containing it, supplementation can be a good choice.

For all others, though, it's wiser to get your recommended daily does fresh from vitamin E foods. A wise dietician said 'it takes life to give life.' While supplements are a great choice for many, they shouldn't replace foods that contain high levels of vitamin E, and as with all supplements, should be used as part of a balanced, healthy diet.

"local greengrocers will be able to provide you with everything you need to bump up your vitamin E levels."

Rich Vitamin E foods

Thankfully, your local greengrocers will be able to provide you with everything you need to bump up your vitamin E levels. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning less of it is needed daily as the body will always have some stored in reserve.

That's why foods rich in vitamin E are usually able to provide enough for the average person.

If we were to neglect the bigger picture, and rank foods based on their content alone, the top four vitamin E foods would be as follows:

• Tofu (5.3mg per 100g)
• Spinach (2.1mg per 100g)
• Almonds (26.3mg per 100g)
• Sunflower seeds (36.3mg per 100g)

How much do I need per day?

More vitamin E foods are avocados, shellfish and olive oil. These could also have made a list, but all four foods above have the highest content per serving.

The minimum recommended daily intake (RDA) as quoted by nutritionists is 15mg. The upper recommended daily intake is 33mg.

Vitamin E foods alone should comfortably provide you with all that you need to fulfil those recommendations. A serving of tofu lightly fried in olive oil provides around half of that required daily amount, for example.