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The fat E

I suppose my writing about what I thought was common knowledge about folic acid and green leafies was prescient. In the lame stream media, you can read Key vitamin deficiency linked to tripled risk of dementia: study. It is so nice to be so cutting edge. Remember what your mother said, "Eat your spinach."

Water soluble vitamins are not your brain's only need. Your brain also needs vitamin E, for example, and some minerals.

Not only does vitamin E protect neurons from damage by free radicals, but it restores damaged neurotransmitter receptor sites on neurons. It not only prevents deterioration of the brain, but also reverses an important element of deterioration. Vitamin E, when taken with selenium improves mood and cognitive function.

Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant, which decreases the oxidation of low density lipoproteins, "bad" cholesterol, by 40%, and reduces the incidence of heart disease by the same amount. It also increases immune function, helps the body fight cancer, retards the onset of cataracts, relieves arthritic symptoms, slows brain aging, and is great for polishing the chrome on an old car.

Pill pushers state that you should take 400IU to 3,000IU per day. Megadoses can cause headaches and raise blood pressure. Vitamin E is fat soluble, which means you can not piss away any excess. The excess accumulates in your body and can easily reach toxic levels. As usual, I say to get your vitamin E from a natural source, not a bottle. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has set an upper tolerable intake level (UL) for vitamin E at 1,000 mg (1,500 IU) for any form of supplementary alpha-tocopherol per day. Based for the most part on the result of animal studies, the Board decided that because vitamin E can act as an anticoagulant and may increase the risk of bleeding problems this UL is the highest dose unlikely to result in bleeding problems.

Vitamin E exists in eight different forms. Each form has its own biological activity, which is the measure of potency or functional use in the body. Alpha-tocopherol (a-tocopherol) is the name of the most active form of vitamin E in humans. Vitamin E in supplements is usually sold as alpha-tocopheryl 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

(Are you noticing a pattern here?) Vegetable oils, nuts, green leafy vegetables are common food sources of vitamin E.

Any questions??