Vitamin E has earned itself a reputation—from spicing up your sex life to banning wrinkles and old age. One of the most important functions of this vitamin is its antioxidant properties. Vitamin E is an essential fat-soluble vitamin that includes eight naturally occurring compounds in two classes designated as tocopherols and tocotrienols. Vitamin E is an effective chain-breaking, lipid-soluble antioxidant in biological membranes, and aids in membrane stability.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol) is a light yellow oil, a fat-soluble vitamin, that is actually a family of compounds, the tocopherols, found in nature. Alphatoxopherol is the most common and the most active of the seven currently described forms (alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, and zeta). Specifically, d-alpha tocopherol is the most potent form, more active than the synthetic dl-alpha tocopherol.

Vitamin E was discovered in 1922 with experiments on rats. When fed a purified diet devoid of vitamin E, the rats became infertile. Wheat germ oil added to their diet restored their fertility. Later, the oil-based substance was isolated and called the "antisterility" vitamin. (Tokos and phero are the Greek words for "offspring" and "to bear," so tocopherol literally means "to bear children.") Though there is no clear deficiency disease in humans, vitamin E is well accepted as an essential vitamin. There is some question, however, as to whether vitamin E is needed for fertility. From general public experience, though, it seems to be clear that vitamin E makes a difference to many. The average diet today contains much less natural vitamin E than it did 50 years ago; we will see soon why, and what vitamin E actually does in the body.

Vitamin E plays an important role in protecting the body tissues from damaging reactions caused by free-radicals, which arise from many normal metabolic functions. Free-radicals are molecules that are energized at the loss of an electron. They become energetic and unstable and will react with any other molecule to acquire another electron. Free-radicals are responsible for many types of cancer, DNA damage, and blood clots. Vitamin E is a strong antioxidant and it helps prolong the life of red blood cells, it plays an essential role in cellular respiration. It protects biological membranes such as those found in the nerves, muscles, and cardiovascular system. It helps the body effectively use and store vitamin A and protects B-complex and vitamin C from oxidation reactions.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, protects your cells from oxidation, and neutralizes unstable free radicals, which can cause damage. This is done by the vitamin E giving up one of its electrons to the electron deficient free radical, making it more stable. While Vitamin E performs its antioxidant functions, it also protects the other antioxidants from being oxidized.

This antioxidant capability is then also great in helping to prevent degenerative diseases, including heart disease, strokes, arthritis, senility, diabetes and cancer. It also assists in fighting heart disease and cancers and is essential for red blood cells, helps with cellular respiration and protects the body from pollution, especially the lungs. Vitamin E is also useful in preventing blood clots from forming and promotes fertility, reduces and/or prevents hot flushes in menopause. An increase in stamina and endurance is also attributed to Vitamin E.

Vitamin E is also used topically to great effect for skin treatments—in helping the skin look younger, promoting healing and cutting down the risk of scar tissue forming. Used on the skin it is also reported to help with eczema, skin ulcers, cold sores and shingles.

Deficiency of Vitamin E is not common, and the symptoms not very clear cut, but may include fatigue, inflamed varicose veins, wounds healing slowly, premature aging and sub-fertility. When Vitamin E is in short supply symptoms may include acne, anemia, muscle disease, dementia, cancers, gallstones, shortened red blood cell life span, spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), and uterine degeneration.

Vitamin E deficiencies are a rupture of RBC's resulting from their increased fragility, reduction of membrane stability and a shrinkage in collagen may result in a tendency toward muscular wasting or abnormal fat deposits in the muscles and an increased demand for oxygen. Without sufficient E in the body, the essential fatty acids are altered so that blood cells break down and hemoglobin formation is impaired. Several amino acids cannot be utilized, and pituitary and adrenal glands reduce their level of functioning, iron absorption and hemoglobin formation are impaired. A severe deficiency can cause damage to liver and kidneys. In gastrointestinal disease, a prolonged deficiency can cause faulty absorption of fat and of fat-soluble vitamins, possibly resulting in cystic fibrosis, blockage of bile ducts and chronic inflammation of the pancreas. Serious deficiencies in men can lead to degeneration of tissues in the testes possibly leading to sterility. Women severely deficient in E cannot carry a pregnancy term successfully and often are accompanied by miscarriages. Hemorrhaging can occur in newborn infants who lack vitamin E, and blood cells of E deficient babies are prone to weakness (hemolysis). Deficiencies can result in nephritis caused by kidney tubules plugged up with dead cells so urine cannot pass.

Toxicity is not easily reached. High intakes may induce diarrhea, nausea or abdominal wind. People on anticoagulant medication should not take more than 1,200 iu per day.

When your diet is high in refined carbohydrates, fried foods and fat, or you are taking a birth control pill or hormone replacement therapy, then a supplement of Vitamin E might be called for. People suffering from pre-menstrual cramps, menopausal hot flushes, after a stroke or suffering from a heart disease might benefit from Vitamin E. It might also be beneficial to relieve painful or swollen joints, if you are exposed to pollution (that is about all of us), suffer from poor circulation or from Dupuytren's disease, which is a thickening of the ligaments in the hands.

Vitamin E is found in nuts, oils, vegetables, sunflower seeds, whole grains, spinach, oils, seeds, wheat oils, asparagus, avocado, beef, seafood, apples, carrots, celery, etc .

Vitamin E is lost in food processing which includes milling, cooking, freezing, long storage periods and when exposed to air. Vitamin E should not be taken together with inorganic iron supplements as it may destroy the vitamin, while organic iron, such as ferrous gluconate and ferrous fumarate does not affect the vitamin.

When buying a supplement you often see "d-alpha-tocopherol" on the list of ingredients - that means that the Vitamin E is from natural sources, whereas "dl-alpha-tocopherol" will indicate that it is from synthetic origin. As such the origin of the vitamin does not influence the efficiency thereof.