An antioxidant vitamin, vitamin E functions to protect the cells from damage. As such, vitamin E is a particularly important nutrient. Vitamin E can be used to treat and prevent a wide range of conditions.
A naturally occurring nutrient, vitamin E is present in eight chemical forms. The different forms of vitamin E include alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol as well as alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocotrienol. The different forms possess different levels of biological activity, with alpha-tocopherol being the only form that is identified as meeting the needs of the human body.
With so many different forms, vitamin E must be supplemented from the appropriate sources. A wide variety of foods provide limited amounts of vitamin E; however, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils are identified as the best sources of the human form of the nutrient. Green leafy vegetables and fortified cereals are also significant sources of the nutrient. Specific foods that offer substantial amounts of the nutrient include wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, sunflower oil, hazelnuts, and peanut butter.
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