Vitamin E

 

Chemical name:

Tocoferol

Description

This fat-soluble vitamin is not synthesized by the body.

 

Although it is stored in muscle and fatty tissue, it is nevertheless essential to consume it daily through the diet.

The benefits

• Vitamin E exists in eight different forms. However, it is the α-tocopherol form, the most common form in nature, which has the highest biological activity.
• The main function of vitamin E is due to its antioxidant capacity, i.e. its ability to protect the body's cell membranes by scavenging the free radicals responsible for oxidative stress.
• Studies have shown that this vitamin protects DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative stress.However, vitamin E does not act alone: it works in synergy (coordinated action) with the other antioxidant defense systems present in the body (free radical scavengers, enzymatic systems, regeneration systems - the vitamin is one of them).
• Finally, it should be noted that vitamin E also plays a beneficial role in platelet aggregation (by preventing excessive aggregation) and in inflammatory processes (by inhibiting the formation of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins).