Gender | Age | Intake |
---|---|---|
0-6 months | Male | 3 mg/day |
0-6 months | Female | 3 mg/day |
7-12 months | Male | 4 mg/day |
7-12 months | Female | 4 mg/day |
1-3 years | Male | 4 mg/day |
1-3 years | Female | 4 mg/day |
4-8 years | Male | 7 mg/day |
4-8 years | Female | 7 mg/day |
9-13 years | Male | 12 mg/day |
9-13 years | Female | 12 mg/day |
14-18 years | Male | 15 mg/day |
14-18 years | Female | 15 mg/day |
19 years and older | Male | 15 mg/day |
19 years and older | Female | 15 mg/day |
Pregnant women | Female | 17 mg/day |
Lactating women | Female | 19 mg/day |
This fat-soluble vitamin is essential for the normal work of many body organs. It is contained in various foods of plant and animal origin. It is also sold as a supplement.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant. It slows down numerous processes that hurt cells.
It also enhances the immune system, prevents premature aging, delays development of cardiac decompensation, promotes function of the endocrine glands and gonads, impedes formation of thrombi, and helps to treat impotence.
Together with vitamin A, it protects the lungs from the impact of polluted air, normalizes the work of muscles, and accelerates healing of burns.
Vitamin E is widely used for curing and preventing diabetes, heart attack, high blood pressure, chest pain, hardening of arteries, and many other diseases of the blood vessels and heart. It is also efficient in preventing colorectal polyps and cancer; oral and lung cancer; pancreatic, gastric, and prostate cancer.
Some people try to use if for healing many other health issues, like Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, night cramps, Huntington’s chorea, Parkinson’s disease, restless leg syndrome, and other problems with the nervous system and brain.
It is also said to be efficacious for asthma, skin disorders, sunburns, chronic fatigue syndrome, cataracts, aging skin, respiratory infections, peptic ulcers, infertility, allergies, and various inherited diseases.
Vitamin E lessens the injurious effects of radiation and dialysis. It reduces side effects of amiodarone, doxorubicin and other drugs.
It also improves athletic performance and increases energy.
Deficiency in this vitamin is rare and occurs in premature infants and persons with genetic diseases. If the diet is poor in vitamin E, it can cause sexual functions disorders, visual impairment, muscle weakness, and other health issues.
Vitamin E is not harmful when taken in proper amounts, but it can be unsafe in high doses, when it can cause stomach cramps, nausea, rash, diarrhea, blurred vision, fatigue, weakness, bruising and bleeding, and headache.
It is a liposoluble vitamin. It is absorbed only when it comes into the intestine together with fats and gall.
According to the recommendations of the American Heart Association, people should get vitamin E and other antioxidants from a healthy and well-balanced diet rather than from manufactured supplements.