Did you know that vitamin E is considered a natural source of youth? This vitamin is associated with the regeneration of skin tissues, as it contributes to strengthening cell walls. In this way, it prevents premature aging due to stress, environmental pollution and excessive exposure to the sun.
There are many ways to obtain vitamin E, the most popular is to consume it through vitamin complexes and aesthetic products. However, many foods are natural sources of this nutrient and their consumption can help you lead a healthy and balanced life, without the need to help you with synthetic supplements. Discover in what are the fruits and vegetables with vitamin E so that you can take advantage of all its benefits.
Function of vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that acts directly on the cell walls providing firmness to the skin and regenerating its tissues. In addition, due to its regenerative action, vitamin E is also excellent for the scalp, thus contributing to the shine and strengthening of the hair.
The main function of vitamin E is to control free radicals that attack the body and have a degenerative process. In many cases, this process is related to physical appearance, but it can also jeopardize the functions of vital organs.
The body's cells use vitamin E for their metabolic processes and to interact with each other. In addition, vitamin E also protects and strengthens muscle mass, which is why it is widely used by athletes and people with a strong exercise regimen.
On the other hand, vitamin E also protects neuronal connections and the motor system. For that reason, a severe vitamin E deficiency can lead to damage to the nervous system and difficulty moving, especially in childhood and old age.
Benefits of Vitamin E
Although its most popular properties and functions are those related to the beauty of the skin and hair, vitamin E contributes in many other ways to the body. This vitamin is a potent anti-inflammatory, lowers cholesterol and, in addition, has been shown to have positive effects on male fertility [1], while its impact on female fertility is still being studied. In addition, vitamin E helps the circulatory system and can prevent or decrease the development of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Among the benefits provided by vitamin E are:
- Vitamin E for the skin: this nutrient slows the aging of the skin, so it is very common to find it in aesthetic and skin care products.
- It has healing properties.
- Contributes to the improvement of the circulatory system.
- It strengthens the immune system, protecting the body from common viruses and bacteria.
- It helps in the fight against degenerative diseases.
- Decreases the chances of eye problems.
- Helps control cholesterol.
- It improves muscle strength, as does physical endurance.
- Prevents senile dementia.
Another quality of vitamin E is that it is fat-soluble, which means that it is diluted in fats and oils. This vitamin, like A, D and K, is consumed together with foods rich in fats that, subsequently, are stored in the liver and fatty tissues, becoming an important vitamin reserve.
Although it is very uncommon, some people have a deficiency of absorbing this vitamin in the body. In these cases, patients are forced to make up for this deficiency with vitamin E capsules, nutritional supplements and other medications. People with the following conditions may be susceptible to vitamin E deficiency:
- Has difficulty processing fats.
- They are premature babies.
- It suffers from chronic diseases also related to the absorption of fats.
Fruits and vegetables with vitamin E
Although it is very common to hear about vitamin E supplements, the truth is that this is a synthetic compound created in laboratories and nothing will ever be more effective than taking natural vitamin E. For this, you just have to incorporate them into a balanced diet.
We can easily find vitamin E in many plant-based foods, such as leafy greens, for example. Know all the fruits and vegetables with vitamin E and include them daily in your diet!
Vegetables with vitamin E
Leafy greens usually have a significant content of vitamin E, even though they are not the foods that contain it the most. The ones we mention below are vegetables that we can combine in salads or use them to accompany main dishes. Be that as it may, do not hesitate to take advantage of all its benefits!
- Chard
- Kale
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Cabbages
Fruits with vitamin E
Avocado and kiwi are the fruits with the highest vitamin E content, but other fruits also contain a small amount of this macronutrient. Here are some of them:
- Mango
- Olives
- Papaya
- Grape
- Plums
- Coconut
- Blueberries
Oils with vitamin E
Vegetable oils are the foods where we can find the most vitamin E. For example, wheat germ oil has 149 mg of vitamin E per 100 g. Undoubtedly, vegetable oils are a source of this nutrient that you cannot stop taking advantage of. Other oils rich in vitamin E include:
- Sunflower oil
- Olive oil
- Soybean oil
- Corn oil
- Products derived from these such as margarine or mayonnaise
Other foods rich in vitamin E
If the list seemed short, there are more foods rich in vitamin E that we can integrate into our diet. Some of the best known are nuts. They have the advantage that they are very easy to consume and are able to provide us, on their own, with the amount of vitamin E we need per day. Among them, almonds and hazelnuts contain the most of this nutrient (with 26.2 and 15 mg per 100 g respectively). Other foods with vitamin E include:
- Pine nuts
- Peanuts
- Pistachios
- Nuts
If we talk about foods of animal origin, egg yolk is a rich source of vitamin E. Animal liver, especially that of chicken, is also a good alternative to consume vitamin E in meats. The same goes for the meats of some fish.
If you want to know more about what are the foods rich in vitamin E, discover everything you need to know by clicking on the link.
