Popular forms of vitamin E, their features and applications

Fat-soluble vitamin E is one of the most important beneficial elements for the human body. It contains the most valuable active compound - tocopherol, which is represented by several groups. Tocopherol is a powerful antioxidant, protects white blood cells from destruction, helps strengthen the immune system, supports the normal functioning of tissues and the entire body, and also has a beneficial effect on sexual function. Thanks to tocopherol, it is no coincidence that vitamin E is called the “vitamin of youth” - it is one of our body’s main helpers in the fight against aging.

What is vitamin E?

Vitamin E (tocopherol) is represented by a group of structurally similar chemical substances - tocopherols and tocotrienols. Dissolves in fats. It has extremely strong antioxidant properties, which provide its positive effect on the body.

Tocopherol fights the process of lipid peroxidation, prevents the formation of free radicals and their destruction of cell membranes.

Vitamin E and its beneficial properties were discovered more than 90 years ago. Since then, the favorable attitude of doctors towards tocopherol has only intensified, because its valuable effects are truly significant and noticeable.

Use in official medicine

Tocopherol plays an important role for the body; it maintains the desired level of cholesterol, restores damaged skin, normalizes the amount of hormones in the blood, alleviates PMS, helps improve vision, and ensures healthy hair. Vitamin E is involved in the fight against free radicals, prevents the development of pathologies and chronic diseases, minimizes the occurrence of cancer, improves muscle strength and endurance. It is important to take tocopherol during pregnancy for the normal development of the child.

The biochemistry of vitamin E indicates that it is more appropriate to take it in the form of a medication. Especially when it comes to the treatment of ataxia, which is represented by a motor disorder due to a deficiency of this component. The standard dose in such cases is 60-75 IU per day. Increased effectiveness is observed when combining the element with other medications, but only after consultation with a specialist.

The pharmacological sphere cannot do without vitamin E, which is used in the form of capsules of 0.4 g, 0.2 g and 0.1 g. Vitamin oil solution in ampoules or bottles, and the powder from which capsules are made, are also in demand in practice. tablets with 50% tocopherol content.

IU is an international unit, it is equal to 0.67 mg of a natural substance and 0.45 mg of a synthetic one. Just 1 mg of alpha-tocopherol equals 1.49 IU in natural form and 2.22 mg in its synthetic counterpart.

Vitamin E is necessary for humans for normal development and existence, and to prevent a number of diseases. Its deficiency negatively affects the functioning of internal organs and appearance. This is important to mention in a middle grade biology post.

Increased need for vitamin E

A sharp increase in the need for the vitamin occurs in pregnant women. Moreover, gynecologists recommend that expectant mothers take additional vitamin E throughout pregnancy, as well as until the end of breastfeeding.

Increased consumption of tocopherol is required during intense physical activity, sports, after the age of 40, when living in environmentally unfavorable areas, and when exposed to stress.

Women are also required to take this vitamin when approaching and after menopause. It is also recommended for teenage girls when their menstrual cycle begins.

Tocopherol consumption standards

The recommended daily dose for vitamin E can vary significantly in different countries - from 8 to 15 mg per day for adults. The difficulty in determining dosage lies in the fact that data on how much tocopherol is needed for normal body function was last revised about 20-25 years ago and was based on old studies. The European Food Safety Authority, based on more recent data, has determined the daily requirement for alpha-tocopherol at 13 mg per day for men and 10 mg/day for women. In Scandinavian countries, clinical guidelines were adopted in 2014, which recommend that women take 8 mg of vitamin E, and men 10 mg.

The generally accepted standards for tocopherol consumption in Russia are close to the official recommendations of the American Institute of Medicine. They suggest that healthy adults should get 15 mg of the vitamin per day, which corresponds to 22.5 IU of the natural substance or 33 IU of the synthetic preparation.

Table. "Daily requirement for tocopherol"

There is another simple way to calculate an individual dose: for adults, the need for tocopherol is 0.3 mg per kilogram of body weight. For infants, this figure is higher – 0.5 mg/kg.

Where to get vitamin E in winter (video):

Where can I get vitamin E in winter? Live healthy! (01/11/2018)

Absorption of vitamin E from food

Like vitamin D, tocopherol is best absorbed in the presence of bile acids and fats. If you eat plant foods, for example, a salad of fresh vegetables, do not forget to season it with vegetable oil. Also use spices, they increase the release of pancreatic juice and bile, which improves digestion and absorption of the vitamin.

Vitamin C protects vitamin E from oxidation and potentiates its effects, so along with sources of tocopherol, it is useful to eat foods containing ascorbic acid. Eat more fruits and vegetables, they contain both vitamins.

Top best natural vitamin E preparations

Vitamin E of natural origin is a complex of 8 tocotrienols and tocopherols, but its synthetic analogues contain only 1 substance. There is an opinion that a natural antioxidant is healthier and safer than a synthetic one, but this is only a theory, which has no scientific confirmation.

It is worth noting that natural vitamin E is much more expensive than synthesized drugs, and finding it in pharmacies is quite problematic.

1. Jarrow Formulas is an American-made product. One unit of the drug contains 60 IU of the active substance.

It is recommended to take 1 capsule once a day. One package is enough for two full months.

The advantages include a completely natural composition. The disadvantages are high cost and long delivery times from online stores.

2.Dr. Mercola is another fairly well-known American drug. It is made from palm oil and rice. There are 30 capsules in a package, take 1 capsule per day.

• Pros: full range of isomers and absence of soy. Disadvantages, like the previous drug.

3. Solgar is inferior to the above products in terms of the number of isomers it contains. There are only 4 of them in this preparation. They are obtained from an extract of safflower oil.

• Advantages: wide variation in dosages (from 100 to 1000 IU in one capsule), availability of packages of 100 or 250 pieces.
• Disadvantages: can only be purchased through online resources, contains only half of the vitamin E isomers.

4. Zentiva is a drug produced in the Czech Republic. The package contains 30 capsules, each of which contains 300 IU of vitamin.

• Advantages: high quality products, lower price than American products.
• Disadvantages: order online, contains dye.

5. Myrrola is a low-dose natural preparation, 1 capsule contains from 10 to 15 IU of vitamin E.

• Pros: low risk of overdose.
• Cons: can only be used for preventive purposes.

Biological role of vitamin E

The functions of vitamin E in the body are very significant. The biological role of tocopherol is as follows:

• Due to its antioxidant effect, it increases the overall level of health and resists diseases
• Improves skin condition, timely renewal of its components
• Has a rejuvenating effect
• Protects blood vessels from atherosclerosis, slows down the development of cardiovascular diseases
• Improves the production of sex hormones, increases the likelihood of pregnancy, and fights infertility. Because of this, vitamin E is also recommended for use by men and women when planning a child, as well as for diseases of the gonads.
• Normalizes blood clotting
• Accelerates the healing of damaged tissues
• Enhances the effects of vitamin A and selenium.

Features of metabolism

Based on the structure of vitamin E, it follows that it is fat soluble. It is capable of breaking down in the fatty layer of the human body with subsequent storage. The action occurs on the principle of an antioxidant that fights oxidative stress: free radicals are destroyed and do not harm healthy cells.

As for free radicals, they are molecules with an unpaired electron, which makes them overly reactive. Such formations parasitize healthy cells during various biochemical processes. There are free radicals that are formed naturally in the body as a byproduct of the digestive system. Some of them are created due to carcinogens from grilling, campfires, and cigarette smoke.

Full-fledged cells that have succumbed to the action of radicals contribute to the progression of chronic diseases such as oncology and heart disorders. Vitamin E, present in sufficient quantities in the daily diet, acts as a proper prevention and effective protection for the body from serious pathologies. Optimal absorption is observed when the element enters the human body simultaneously with food.

An element important for humans is absorbed at the intestinal level, after which it enters the bloodstream through the lymphatic system. Absorption occurs together with lipids, then the substance enters chylomicrons, which transfer it to the liver.

This process is characteristic of all types of vitamin E. The difference is that α-tocopherol after the liver makes itself felt in the plasma . At the same time, most of the β-, γ- and δ-tocopherol appears in the bile and may not be absorbed without subsequent excretion from the body. The reason for this is a special protein in the liver, which is solely responsible for transporting α-tocopherol.

Regarding the introduction of RRR-α-tocopherol directly into the plasma, this process is completely saturated. The plasma level upon intake of the vitamin stops growing at around 80 microns, even when the dose is increased to 800 mg. Research shows that this process results from the replacement of circulating α-tocopherol, which has undergone new absorption.

Signs of vitamin E deficiency

Often people are not even aware of the need for additional vitamin E use, attributing signs of its deficiency to some third-party reasons. Meanwhile, the symptoms of tocopherol deficiency can be quite serious. These include:

• Menstruation disorders in women, decreased potency in men
• Infertility, spontaneous miscarriages
• Anemia
• Pale and yellow skin
• Increased incidence of colds
• Liver disorders
• Weakness, etc.

Signs of deficiency and excess

The substance is a fat-soluble compound, so it can accumulate in the human body. Long-term excess of vitamin E to 400-800 mg per day is characterized by clinical syndrome of hypervitaminosis. Patients experience visual disturbances, severe pain and cramps in the abdomen, repeated vomiting and diarrhea. Dizziness, muscle weakness, and decreased performance are also observed. With daily consumption of ultra-high doses of the nutrient, the risk of strokes and profuse bleeding increases.

Tocopherol deficiency also has characteristic clinical manifestations:

• dry and flaky skin, brittle nail plates;
• decreased libido, erectile dysfunction in men;
• causeless visual impairment;
• reduced life expectancy of red blood cells, anemia;
• dystrophic changes in skeletal muscles and myocardium;
• inability to get pregnant, early miscarriages.

How to determine your vitamin level

If a deficiency or overdose of tocopherol is suspected, doctors usually prescribe a specific blood test using liquid chromatography. Normal values ​​for adults range from 4 to 17 mcg/ml. To get accurate results, do not eat food 3 hours before donating blood.

Signs of excess vitamin E

When regularly taking vitamin E preparations in dosages of 800 IU and above, no symptoms initially arise - in the body, excess tocopherol is simply deposited in adipose tissue, and its excess is also excreted in bile.

However, further deterioration in health is possible: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. An increase in blood pressure, an increase in the level of harmful lipids in the blood and an acceleration in the development of atherosclerosis are likely.

In case of poisoning with a single ultra-high dose of the vitamin, liver function is impaired, kidney failure and other serious consequences may develop.

What else is prescribed with this study?

Biochemistry 8 indicators

27.113. Ven. blood 1 day

990 ₽ Add to cart

Vitamin C

4.17. Ven. blood 7 days

2,280 ₽ Add to cart

Clinical blood test with leukocyte count and ESR (with microscopy of a blood smear to detect pathological changes) (venous blood)

3.9.1. Ven. blood 1 day

720 ₽ Add to cart

Complex blood test for vitamins (Vitamins A, D, E, K, C, B1, B5, B6)

4.26.1 Ven. blood 7 days

16,500 ₽ Add to cart

How to use?

Despite the convenience and popularity of the capsule form, it is worth knowing how to take it correctly. The instructions in this regard read as follows:

• Admission is carried out only upon the recommendation of a doctor and in a strictly designated dosage.
• Proper administration involves oral use.
• Time - after eating . In this case, the capsule should be taken with a large volume of liquid. Chewing it is prohibited (unless otherwise stated in the instructions).

A little about vitamins – something you didn’t know about

Murzaeva Irina Yurievna

Endocrinologist, Preventive Medicine Doctor

September 23, 2018

Vitamins are classified as a subtype of micronutrients that are needed by the body in small doses - mcg or mg , but are needed constantly!! Many of the vitamins can influence the formation of the cell genome and, accordingly, influence reproduction and susceptibility to cancer. In our country, hypervitaminosis does not occur physiologically, but multiple vitamin deficiencies do. Deficiency can be of 3 degrees of severity:

• vitamin deficiency (complete absence),
• hypovitaminosis (partial absence),
• subnormal security.

Next they will write about each vitamin separately and in the form of a brief reference. Since vitamins are often closely related to microelements, I will mention them a little.

1. The most common deficiency is a lack of B vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, B12), especially in schoolchildren. This is due to the predominance of refined foods and stress.
2. Allergies to B vitamins (especially injectable ones) are often associated not with “the vitamin itself,” but with sulfites that stabilize the vitamin solution. And if you are allergic to injectable forms, you may not be allergic to tablet forms.
3. B vitamins are better absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, and are used in injections only for acute conditions (radiculopathy, neuritis, etc.).
4. MYTH - B vitamins provoke cancer!!! Vitamins B1+B6+B12 do not affect tumor metastasis!!! And they even have an unpronounced antitumor effect.
5. Vitamins B12 and D significantly reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.
6. Vitamin E and Selenium in the experiment increased the risk of bronchial cancer - ONLY IN SMOKERS! (more than 1 pack of cigarettes per day).
7. Vitamin C + Iron + Manganese (Mn) is the best three for the treatment of IDA (iron deficiency anemia).
8. Vitamin B12 + Iodine + Selenium = optimal prevention of autoimmune diseases (note!!! already developed pathologies are not meant ).
9. Vitamin PP + chromium (Cr) = excellent option in the treatment of insulin resistance and obesity.
10. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) + magnesium = a great migraine treatment pairing!
11. For better absorption of vitamins, movement is necessary! Physical inactivity weakens the absorption of all vitamins!
12. To treat osteoporosis, the dose of vitamin D should maintain its concentration in the blood at least 40 ng/ml.
13. In case of atopic dermatitis, dry skin syndrome, seizures, dry lips, conjunctivitis and recurrent furunculosis that are difficult to treat, there may be a genetic predisposition to impaired absorption of vitamins (this is a separate article) - today such an analysis is available in Russian practice.
14. Boys are more predisposed to polyhypovitaminosis than girls.
15. Frequent nausea without signs of infection is a common symptom of vitamin B1 and B6 deficiency.
16. Leg cramps are often a deficiency of Iron, Magnesium, vitamins B1 and B6.
17. A history of tuberculosis in relatives and a positive tuberculin test in a patient is an almost 100% marker of a genetic disorder in the absorption of vitamin D, which requires treatment with large prophylactic doses of vitamin D.
18. Complivit is a vitamin that is suitable for daily use by almost everyone. Supradin - for acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections, in a short course.
19. Folic acid for preparing for pregnancy and treating hyperhomocysteinemia is better absorbed in the form of methylfolate (the active form of folic acid).
20. Rosveratrol with a low-calorie diet (low-calorie diet) will help prevent hunger attacks.
21. Alphalipoic acid + myoinositol + magnesium + zinc = an excellent 3-month treatment regimen for asthenozoospermia .
22. Q10 + Selenium + Omega-3 + Alphatocopherol (active vitamin E) = against the background of dyslipoproteinemia, they can become an alternative to statins in the absence of cardiovascular disease and severe degrees of atherosclerosis.
23. Thioctic (lipoic acid) is the best way to treat fatty hepatosis today.
24. Zinc + vitamin C in the 1st phase of the cycle/vitamin E + Copper + Magnesium in the 2nd phase of the cycle = a universal scheme for stabilizing menstrual irregularities.
25. Large doses of selenium that are tried to be used in thyroidology, more than 200 mcg, are fraught with toxic effects!! A dose of 75-100 mcg is sufficient for the treatment of AIT.
26. 25% of the population has a defect in the absorption of vitamin B12. This is expressed by the phenomena of neuropathy - periodic numbness of the toes and hands.
27. Magnesium does not have to be combined with vitamin B6; it is perfectly absorbed without B6.
28. If you have urolithiasis (urolithiasis) and take vitamin D, so that it does not fall out as a “calcium deposit,” you need to take magnesium citrate. And keep hydrated!
29. Vitamin K2 is not as strong a stimulator of vitamin D absorption as it is “painted to be.”
30. Vitamin A + Omega-3 = a good treatment regimen for dry skin and acne!
31. Anemia and other diseases can impair the absorption of vitamin D by 30% or more. And including reducing its concentration in the blood!!!
32. Preventive (safe doses) of vitamin D for adults - 2400-5000 IU/day.
33. The adrenal glands accumulate the most vitamin C. A safe daily dose of vitamin C is 500-1000 mg; in the active form, doses can be much higher (but this is only a doctor’s decision!!).
34. Zinc is lost quickly during hypothermia, which aggravates the course of acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections . An excellent solution is 50-70 mg of zinc for 5 days in acute conditions.
35. Vitamin A+Selenium+Lutein = treatment regimen for diseases of the organ of vision.
36. Algae-based omega-3s are a great alternative for those allergic to omega-3s from fish.
37. It is better to take Omega-3 constantly; large doses are indicated only under the control of the Omega-3 blood index and blood platelet level!!!
38. Phosphorus (+ calcium) for “strengthening bones” is needed more by children than by adults - in adults, phosphates predominate in food! For adults, vitamin D + calcium is preferred.
39. Organic iodine, as well as inorganic iodine (potassium iodide), are absorbed with the same bioavailability. There is no need to isolate organic iodine.
40. Vitamin E – proven prevention of bladder and kidney cancer (!)
41. Unfortunately, active forms of vitamins are rarely found on the Russian market, which makes it difficult to use them to correct certain conditions.
42. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is very important for the synthesis of steroid hormones, with adrenal dysfunction, for example, and has a healing property for erosive defects of the stomach, etc.
43. Recently, science has begun to attract a lot of attention - chronopharmacology , which also studies the absorption of vitamins by time of day. For example, vitamin D and calcium are better absorbed in the evening!

To be continued ….