Anti-Aging: Vitamin E

acetate, a form of alpha-tocopherol that protects its ability to function as an antioxidant. The synthetic form is labeled "D, L" while the natural form is labeled "D". The synthetic form is only half as active as the natural form [4]. Antioxidants such as vitamin E act to protect your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of energy metabolism. Free radicals can damage cells and may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Studies are underway to determine whether vitamin E, through its ability to limit production of free radicals, might help prevent or delay the development of those chronic diseases. Vitamin E has also been shown to play a role in immune function, in DNA repair, and other metabolic processesWhat does it do? Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects cell membranes and other fat-soluble parts of the body, such as LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol), from damage. Only when LDL is damaged does cholesterol appear to lead to heart disease, and vitamin E is an important antioxidant protector of LDL.1 Several studies,2 3 including two double-blind trials,4 5 have reported that 400 to 800 IU of natural vitamin E per day reduces the risk of heart attacks. Other recent double-blind trials have found either limited benefit,6 or no benefit at all from supplementation with synthetic vitamin E.7 One of the negative trials used 400 IU of natural vitamin E8 —a similar amount and form to previous successful trials. In attempting to make sense of these apparently inconsistent findings, the following is clear: less than 400 IU of synthetic vitamin E, even when taken for years, does not protect against heart disease. Whether 400 to 800 IU of natural vitamin E is, or is not, protective remains unclear. Vitamin E also plays some role in the body’s ability to process glucose. Some, but not all, trials suggest that vitamin E supplementation may eventually prove to be helpful in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. In the last ten years, the functions of vitamin E in the cell have been further clarified. In addition to its antioxidant functions, vitamin E is now known to act through other mechanisms, including direct effects on inflammation, blood cell regulation, connective tissue growth, and genetic control of cell division.9 Where is it found? Wheat germ oil, nuts and seeds, whole grains, egg yolks, and leafy green vegetables all contain vitamin E. Certain vegetable oils should contain significant amounts of vitamin E. However, many of the vegetable oils sold in supermarkets have had the vitamin E removed in processing. The high amounts found in supplements, often 100 to 800 IU per day, are not obtainable from eating food. Vitamin E has been used in connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual health concern for complete information): Medical science and the public, alike, have long agreed on the positive relationship between vitamins and good health. Nonetheless, vitamins have, for the most part, been snubbed from cosmetics, skin creams, and beauty-care products. Not only has the media ignored, dismissed, or blurred the connection between topical vitamins and healthier skin, but the beauty industry has primarily stressed camouflaging blemishes and age spots. Mainstream physicians, meanwhile, have endorsed surgical techniques to reverse the visible signs of advancing time. Now, however, just as vitamins have helped maintain health and longer life, so has more emphasis gone into vitamins as protective and restorative factors, to promote more youthful, radiant skin. Oxidation, or the aging process of the skin, occurs primarily because UV light stimulates the production of free radicals. In its own defense, the body manufactures natural antioxidants. However, aging and sun exposure make the body's sustained fight against UV rays more and more difficult. As a result, the free-radical damage can lead not only to older-looking skin, but also to potential skin cancer. Studies at the University of California, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, suggest that a 10-day period of a 5 percent vitamin E application sent the skin extra vitamin E protection. Another study showed a 2.5 percent vitamin E gel reduced skin damage caused by UV rays. Because antioxidants absorb radiation not neutralized by sunscreens, vitamin E increases their protection and lessens the damaging effects of solar UV radiation. Still, vitamin E does more than protect skin from the sun. The vitamin also helps keep skin smooth and soft -- the greater the internal moisture, the smoother and softer the skin. Without sufficient internal moisture, skin cracks, deep furrows increase more rapidly, and the space between wrinkles decreases. Studies show topical vitamin E improves skin moisture by offsetting dryness caused by aging and environmental factors. While a good diet, and specific compounds (such as vitamin E, silica, and products of the hive), will help the skin, some suggest that only about 10 percent of vitamins reach the skin. Further, although vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, the lowest concentrations within the body occur in th