What are the benefits of vitamin E?

Si vous avez une alimentation saine et équilibrée, il est probable que vous bénéficiez de tous les bienfaits de la vitamine E dont votre corps a besoin.

Dietitians Helen Bond and Clare Thornton-Wood from the British Dietetic Association (BDA) explain what vitamin E is and why your body needs it.

Qu'est-ce que la vitamine E ?

Comme la plupart des vitamines, la vitamine E est un composé liposoluble. Les vitamines liposolubles sont absorbées avec les graisses du régime alimentaire et sont stockées dans les tissus adipeux et le foie.

Avantages de la vitamine E

Thornton-Wood says one of vitamin E’s key roles is as an antioxidant, helping protect your body’s cells from damage caused by unstable molecules - known as free radicals.

"These are produced by pollutants such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, and UV rays from the sun, and also by your body itself when food is digested," she explains.

"For this reason, vitamin E is important for maintaining a healthy immune system and overall health and wellbeing."

Est-ce que je consomme suffisamment de vitamine E ?

Like all things good for you, vitamin E is found in many healthy foods. If your body is not getting enough vitamin E - it's usually linked to a poor diet.

Bond notes that most people are able to get enough vitamin E in their diet.

"It can also be stored in the body, so it's not essential to be consumed in large amounts every day," she says. "So, a deficiency is rare in this country, even in people with a chronic malabsorption of fats - a condition where your body can't absorb fats properly."

In the UK it is recommended adults consume 3-15 milligrams of vitamin E daily.

Quels sont les aliments qui contiennent de la vitamine E ?

"It is not difficult to obtain all the vitamin E benefits you need each day from eating a balanced diet," she adds. "Any not utilised that day can be stored by your body for future use."

Une carence en vitamine E est-elle possible ?

Bien qu'une carence en vitamine E soit peu probable, certaines personnes sont plus sujettes aux carences en vitamines en général et ont besoin d'un apport plus important en vitamine E.

Thornton-Wood explains that vitamin E deficiency is rare and is generally linked to diseases where digestion or absorption of fat is an issue - such as in Crohn's disease and cystic fibrosis.

"In extreme cases a lack of vitamin E can cause damage to your nerves and muscles," she says. "This could result in loss of feeling in your arms and legs, weakness of your muscles and issues with your vision.

"Une carence en vitamine E peut également entraîner un affaiblissement de la fonction immunitaire.

Dois-je prendre des suppléments de vitamine E ?

Vitamin E supplements are generally not necessary for most people. Thornton-Wood advises that vitamin E is much better obtained from food.

"This will then provide a range of other nutrients such as fibre, and additional vitamins and minerals," she says.

M. Bond ajoute que, bien qu'il ait été suggéré que des doses élevées de vitamine E aient des effets bénéfiques sur la santé, on ne sait pas encore si une supplémentation en vitamine E est nécessaire.

She notes: "High doses of vitamin E have been implicated in promoting health and protecting against many health conditions including Alzheimer's disease.

"Mais jusqu'à présent, il n'y a pas assez de preuves concluantes que la prise quotidienne de fortes doses de suppléments de vitamine E est essentielle. L'effort devrait plutôt porter sur une alimentation saine, équilibrée et variée, incluant de nombreux aliments naturellement riches en vitamine E."

Effets secondaires de la vitamine E

Comme toute chose dans la vie, il est possible de se retrouver avec un excès de vitamine E, bien que cela soit extrêmement rare.

Thornton-Wood warns that extreme amounts of vitamin E can increase your chance of bleeding because they reduce your blood’s ability to clot properly. For this reason, if you are about to have surgery - you should not be taking vitamin E supplements.

"People on other medicines should always consult a pharmacist before taking dietary supplements," says Thornton-Wood. "In particular, vitamin E can interfere with the action of drugs such as warfarin - a type of blood thinner - and also the action of some chemotherapy drugs."