When talking about antioxidants, foods that have vitamin E always occupy dismissed positions in the list of foods that help us reduce oxidatuous stress. Natalia Toro, dietitian-nutritionist and member of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics helps us to know this vitamin better.
What is vitamin EO tocopherol?
Vitamin E is a liposoluble vitamin, that is, it is found in the lipid or fat of food.
It was subdivided into two large families of active biological substances:
- Tocoferolas. It groups 4 compounds: alpha-tocoferol/ beta-tocoferol, gamma-tocool and delta-tocoferol.
- Tocotienols. There are also 4, although less active. They are known as Alfa-Tocotrienol, Beta-Tocotrienol, Gamma-Tocotrienol and Delta-Tocotrienol.
Of all of them, «Alfa-Tocoferol is the most active vitamin E form and the most abundant in food,» says Natalia Toro. It is also what our body absorbs and accumulates more easily. «We can also find it in its synthetic form, as D-Alfa-Tocoferol acetate, an alpha-tocoferol ester. It is characterized by this commercial.»
Functions of Vitamin E
Antioxidant
When asked that for vitamin E, the most common response is that an excellent antioxidant. «It is housed in biological mimbranas and protects the polyunsates of phospholipids of the membrane of oxidative damage neutralizing free radicals,» explains the expert. This action against oxidative stress is essential for attenuating aging, as well as to reduce the risk of arthritis, cardiovascular cooling (protected from oxidation to LDL), cataracts, diabetes or cancer.
This antioxidant activity is not alone. Other antioxidant enzymes also participate, such as superoxide enzymes, but peroxidase or reducting gluttation. They are produced by our body and nutrients such as selenium or vitamin C. A diet with nutrient nutrients affects the antioxidant activity of vitamin E participate, since actu actu jointly.
Foods rich in vitamin E
Since only the plants are synthesized, the mayor part of food with vitamin and son of plant origin, although it is also located in small quantities in fat and animals of animals.
Where do we find vitamin E? Eros are some of the food with mayor presence of this vitamin:
- Vegetable oils: olive oil, sunflower oil, linen, sesame, canola, etc.
- Dry fruits, almonds, nuts, pinions, peanuts, etc., and smelling seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, etc.)
- Dried fruits (dates, figs, plums, etc.)
- Aguacato, Mango
- Green leafy vegetables
- Wheat germ
- Fatty and crustacean fish: salmon, sardines, prawns …
- Yolk
Tips to maximize the absorption of vitamin E
- Take it with fatty foods (healthy)
Being a liposoluble vitamin is better absorbed in the presence of fatty foods. That is why it is convenient to consume it with healthy fats, such as olive oil or nuts.
- At the main meals
If vitamin E supplements are taken, «it is better to do it together with a main meal that contains healthy fats. Thus we maximize its absorption,» says the expert.
Some minerals, such as iron in high doses, can interfere with the absorption of vitamin E. If both supplements are going to be taken, Conv: It is convenient to space their consumption, for example, one in the Yotro food at dinner.
Absorption also depend on a correct digestion of gauze. If there are problems in the liver or in the pancreas, the absorption could be compromised.
Tocoferol is sensitive to heat and processing. Cooking food at high top or processing them exesivamete can reduce their vitamin E content.
What son the recommended levels of vitamin E for general population?
According to the Spanish Food and Nutrition Security Agency (AESAN), the Reference Nutricrictional Ingestas (INR) for vitamin E (expressed as alpha-tocoferol) are the sigles:
Food consumption studies in Spain, such as ENALIA (food and adolescent population pollstern) recommended vitamin E, specially, in children, adolescents and older adults. This insusch is attributed to the increasingly low of nuts, green leafy vedales and oil vegetable oils.
How can we incorts more vitamin E in nusta diet?
As we have seen, vitamin E is present in a wide food group. This allows us to play in the kitchen and prepare very diverse and rich dishes in this vitamin. Natalia Toro suggests these recipes the steps:
- Almonds, nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower with natural yogurt
- AGUACATO IN ASSALED WITH spinach or chard
- Extra virgin olive oil in cooked or raw vegetables
- Temperate spinach salad, broccoli and salmon
- Green smoothie with spinach and wheat germ oil
- Broccoli cream and spinach with seed topping
What is better, take food with vitamin E or opt for supplements?
In a healthy adult, the ideal is Obtain vitamin E through a varied diet. Supplements must be a punctual tool in cases of deficiencies. «We are going to take better advantage of the benefits of vitamin E when we get it from the feeds, since they contain different forms of vitamin E (such as Alfa and Gamma Tocoferol) and contribute or other nutrients nutrients that favor its absorption,» says Toro. «In addition, hay a lower risk of toxicity because only with the diet it is very difficult to exceed the maximum tolerable levels for this vitamin, although yes, a part of a misuse of supplements» «is taken.»
Vitamin E supplements, whether in vitamin EO vitamin E capsules in ampoules, enter, very useful child is the cases of diagnostic deficiency of this vitamin. A prolonged deficiency can produce neuromuscular dysfunction, alterations in view or anemia, you enter. «The supplements are used in person with fat jugs or hepatic cooling. Also, durants quotes of life or special conditions, such as-some pregnancies or very restrict diets. They must always dispense under dietitian-nutritionist supervisii, since high doses can have adverse effects,» warns the dietitian-nutritionist.
Natalia Toro. Diploma in Human and Dietetics Nutrition from the University of Ramón Llull in 2007, License in Food Science and Technology from the University of Barcelona in 2009 and graduated in biology, molecular, cellular and food systems specialty from the University of Barcelona in 2010. Doctor in 2014 in the Food and Nutrition Program by the University of Barcelona with the thesis entitled «Nutritional and biofunctional value of soybeans and almond Stabilized by Ultra Alta High Homogenizace ». Doctors M. Carmen Vidal Carou and M. Teresa Veciana Nogués. Award of the Catalan Association of Food Sciences 2015 for the work «Nutritious and biofunctional value of a Mediterranean product, the almond baby, compared to the soybean drink ‘and with an extraordinary doctoral award by the university of Barcelona.
