Vitamin E is a major fat-soluble antioxidant that plays an important role in protecting our body from Disease. In diabetics, where oxidative stress is a major factor in the causation of diabetes, supplementation with Vitamin E has been found to help.
I generally avoid promoting one vitamin or other nutrients over another because we need sufficient amounts of all of the 90 essential nutrients in appropriate quantities for our bodyweight to function properly. Today I will make an exception because -- with all the dietary and environmental stresses on our body -- it is often necessary to take more of a few specific nutrients in addition to the baseline amounts we should be getting either from a healthy diet or through regular complete supplementation programs.
Dr. Wallach and other Naturopathic Doctors, as well as some MDs, tell us that we must supplement with at least the minimum RDA of all the essential nutrients so that we know, for sure, that we are obtaining sufficient amounts known to prevent deficiency diseases. For optimal health -- or where a disease has already begun to exhibit symptoms -- we occasionally need to increase the dose of certain nutrients, such as Vitamin E or the trace mineral Chromium, both of which are important in supporting healthy insulin sensitivity.
I am drawing on the excellent "Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements", by Michael Murray, ND and also on Dr. Joel Wallach's book "Let's Play Doctor" in writing this. Most Medical Doctors know very little about the critical importance of natural nutrient deficiencies and how supplementation can inexpensively solve problems without resorting to synthetic drugs. Is it any wonder why they aren't taught about nutrient requirements in medical school?
If I had room here, I could go off on a rant about the failings of our conventional, drug-selling medical system and the poor results diabetics receive from it. To me, it is fascinating how much legitimate scientific research has been done that shows the importance of natural nutrients -- and the many terrible diseases could be avoided if we consumed enough of them. And, we can't get enough of many of these from our current mass-produced food supply, so we must supplement.
In reading about Vitamin E, I also find it is helpful in the naturopathic treatment of Fibromyalgia. It has also been shown in controlled trials to help prevent "hot flashes" in menopausal women. Did your doctor ever tell you this, ladies?
Something related to Vitamin E was in the news recently. In some testing on U.S. Veterans Administration patients, Vitamin E significantly out-performed the prescription drug memantine (Namenda) in slowing the progression of mild to moderate symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease.
Quality is important in seeking effective nutritional benefits from vitamins, so don't scrimp.