The Fitness Age : Vitamin E

For many who may think that I am obsessed with fitness, think again… Well I think I am.

Vitamin E: A bit of History

Generally, as a practice, we tend to cut down on fats and splurge on fruits. This may be good but is not long lasting. So the tendency for humans is to pop in pills to make up for the loss that has been done thanks to the avoidance of fat in their dietary regime. Most of the times these pills are nothing but either multi-vitamins or fat burning pills. It’s good to supplement your body with multi-vitamin pills but the sad part is that certain essentials that you really need from food that are thankfully available in capsule form may not always be present in the concoction of the multi-vitamins that you might take in.

Vitamin E and C for example. Ideally a good combination of Vitamin E, C and B complex would be ideal. Moreover, these three may or may not be found in capsules today. If they are, well, then its absolutely to your benefit. Since many of us first start with our reduction programmes with the same word that we use to begin the series with… Incomprehensible…well, the word ‘Crash’. We all start with the Crash diet as suddenly it dawns on us that taking charge of our bodies should always rein supreme, fat or no fat, health comes first.

So what follows is cutting down on cheese, potatoes, sugar, essentially everything that’s white. I even had an uncle of mine suggesting the same thing. Research sure tells me that potatoes have their own value and especially boiled potatoes have that essential feel good miracle component that’s so essential for your skin…. Vitamin E!

The Beauty Buzz

On the whole Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that exists in eight different forms. As each form has its own biological activity, the measure of potency or functional use in the body. Ideally Adults need (and I hope I am not mistaken on that end!) 400mg of the wonderful green capsule almost everyday. Being an antioxidant, Vitamin E does it bit in protecting your cells against the effects of free radicals, which potentially damage the by-products of the body’s metabolism! Free radicals are nothing but rogues that may cause cell damage and may also contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and sometimes even cancer. Studies are underway to determine whether vitamin E might help prevent or delay the development of those chronic diseases.

For information sake, Vitamin E is found mostly in vegetable oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables are the main dietary sources of vitamin E. Fortified cereals are also an important source of vitamin E.

Of course the vitamin is in vogue for an array of services that it does to the human body. Specifically among those are the wonders that it creates for the skin. The glossy effect of the skin is all thanks to that and a whole gamut of other ingredients that it allows to radiate through. In an age where Botox is the new mantra, its nice to know that things as natural as sprouts, potatoes and nuts can help revive faith in a medicine oriented society. Of course for those who still swear by the syringe, will opt for a less hassled method of going beneath the surgical knife, but then a little knowledge never harmed anyone…. What say? Food for thought?!