Vitamin E refers to a group of eight fat-soluble compounds that include, both tocopherol and tocotreinol.
It is found in many foods including vegetable oils, cereals, meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and wheat germ oil. It is also available as a supplement. stops the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), formed when fat undergoes oxidation.
The Tocopherol form of Vitamin E, itself is in 3 types, like alpha, gamma and delta.
Alpha Tocopherol
α-Tocopherol is a form of Vitamin E, that is preferentially absorbed and accumulated in humans. Alpha tocopherol is the strongest of several forms of tocopherol elements. It can help the body fight off a range of degenerative conditions. It is beneficial to overall body function.
It is a potential helper for battling conditions like glaucoma and some forms of cancer. Alpha-tocopherol can modulate the inflammatory responses in white blood cells. It also can decrease blood clotting by platelets. It maintains the normal and regular tone of the vascular bed.
Food Sources
Many kinds of vegetable oils contain large amounts of the substance. It is also present in high levels in wheat germ, in some fortified breakfast cereals and other processed foods where manufacturers have added in synthetic elements.
Therapeutic Effects
- It is an excellent anti oxidant
- It prevents degeneration and delays aging
- It increases immunity
- It fights against Glaucoma and cancer
- Anti Inflammatory
- Helps in regulating the vascular bed, especially helpful for Smokers
Gamma Tocopherol
It is very important to human health and appears to be a more effective trap for lipophilic electrophiles than is alpha-tocopherol. It possess antiinflammatory properties. It is a potent fighter and defender against disease-provoking compounds in the body known as reactive nitrogen oxides. It inhibits certain factors leading to cancers and activate genes involved in protecting against Alzheimer's disease. The illness and death due to cardiovascular events can be lowered with Gamma Tocopherol. It helps in treating dementia also.
Therapeutic effects
- Potent anti oxidant
- Fight against Cancer
- Helpful in Alzheimer's disease
- Improves Memory
Delta Tocopherol
The delta-tocopherols also do prevent colon, lung, breast and prostate cancer. It is also a good anti inflammatory agent and improves immunity. It is also , like Gamma tocopherol, mostly found in vegetable oils like soybean, canola and corn oils as well as in nuts.
Tocotreinol
The tocotreinol form of Vitamin E, is considered to be a promising anti-cancer agent due to its potent effects against a wide range of cancers. Along with that it has a potent anti oxidant property also, which makes it unique in the treatment of cancer.
It has properties like inhibition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions, the suppression of VEGF tumor angiogenic pathway and the induction of anti-tumor immunity. The researches show that it has chemosensitization and anti-cancer stem cell (CSC) effects.
It has a plaque removing property also which makes it important in heart diseases and in lowering LDL. And so it makes its role in the stroke treatment also. It can reduce the blood sugar level in Diabetes.
Therapeutic Effects
- Anti cancerous
- Anti diabetic
- Anti inflammatory
- Helps in stroke injuries
- Decreases cholesterol