VITAMIN E and Functions Vitamin E is a very important antioxidant which can protect the body from things called free radicals that can come from air pollutants (cigarette smoke, radiation, metal etc) and can cause disease in our bodies like cardiovascular disease and cancers.
Other functions of Vitamin E include skin and eye health in contributing to cell health in these tissues as well as helping with the normal functioning of our immune systems.
Normal functioning is key here as no food or nutrient can boost our immune system as only medication can against disease etc.
Vitamin E is found in a variety of different foods including almond nuts, almond milk, avocados, hazelnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, olive oil, spinach and broccoli to name a few. More Vitamin E is absorbed when vegetables like spinach and broccoli are cooked with steaming being a good option. Steaming spinach and broccoli will also help preserve b-vitamins including B9 and C which will be lost in water if for example the spinach/broccoli was boiled. In general, most vegetables should be steamed or microwaved to preserve more vitamins.
Lee McCusker (BA; MSc; MSc; MSc; ANutr; SENr) is a registered nutritionist from Belfast and can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Email: attentivenutrition@gmail.com found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Email: attentive nutrition@gmail.com
