Q) I have been taking a vitamin E supplement (400IU) everyday, is that enough? Are all vitamin E supplements the same?
A) When using Vitamin E supplements, it is important to get the complete Vitamin E with all 8 Vitamin E’s. An incomplete Vitamin E supplement, alpha-tocopherol was previously the only Vitamin E sold; research showed this anti-oxidant to be the major tocopherol in the body. The other 7 E’s were found to be minor and unimportant. Now research has found all Vitamin E’s to be essential. Taking a supplement with only one form could be detrimental to your health. Vitamin E is important to your health in many ways. It protect against the damaging effects of free radicals in the body. Because each form provides a slightly different benefit it is important to consume all eight types. Also, it’s important to take the tocotrienols along with some form of oil or fat-containing food. When tocotrienols are taken on an empty stomach, absorption is reduced by an average of 50%.