Posts Tagged ‘Vitamin E’
The Dynamic Duo of Vitamin E for Seniors
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Today most multivitamin supplements contain vitamin E, but seniors need to read the small print. The small print says the vitamin E in most multivitamins is just the alpha tocopherol component. It turns out that nature provides all the components of vitamin E. Our human bodies evolved using the natural vitamin E from nuts and certain fruits and vegetables, so we will not be as healthy getting only part of the whole vitamin E. Seniors who are concerned about fostering their senior health need to get another component of vitamin E, the gamma component. It is called gamma tocopheral and it is very important that seniors get enough of the gamma if they are taking a multivitamin with just the alpha tocopherol. This is certainly true for senior men and is probably true for senior women. Studies have shown that senior men who do not get the gamma component, but only the alpha component are at risk for their prostate health, because their bodies require a balance of both the gamma and alpha components of vitamin E. Further studies have shown that the gamma component provides protection against cancer and cardiovascular disease. The alpha component provides powerful antioxidant for the body. The gamma component provides superior anti-inflammatory and gene regulatory activities. The good news for seniors is that certain tasty foods such as sunflower seed kernels, avocado, and asparagus provide both all the components of vitamin E which include both the alpha and gamma components. Special supplements are also available that contain multiple components of vitamin E.
Seniors Need Full Spectrum Vitamin E
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The health news regularly includes articles that claim that vitamin E is very good for our health, but the articles tend to be a little slim on providing the details that can make a real difference in getting the form of vitamin E that is genuinely healthful for seniors. Seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to benefit their senior health require more than the typical form of vitamin E found in most supplements. Many multivitamins contain vitamin E, but typically they contain only the form known as alpha tocopherol. This alpha tocopherol is the principal component in vitamin E that supports our health, but it is not the only form that is necessary for senior men and most likely for senior women, too. The vitamin E found in foods such as sunflower seed kernels, avocados, and asparagus contains all the components of vitamin E which number at least eight. For senior men research has found that in addition to the alpha component they need the gamma component, in order to ensure their prostate health. It would not be surprising to discover that senior women need the gamma component to insure the health of their breasts and reproductive organs. It turns out that for senior men the lack of the gamma component of vitamin E can have a very negative effect on their prostate health.
Senior Men Can Enjoy Avocadoes for Prostate Health
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This post is written for senior men who are concerned about promoting their prostate health and avoiding the effects of prostate cancer. Two of the possible paths taken by a developing prostate cancer include either the path of androgen-dependent or the path of androgen-independent cancer cells. Both of them will result in deadly consequences unless they are stopped. Current therapies can target the androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells and delay them in the short term. Androgen-independent cancer cells are much more difficult to treat and they tend to metastasize. What is needed is a way to inhibit the growth of both types of cancer cells.
It turns out that there appears to be some genuine hope on the horizon for senior men in terms of reducing their risk of prostate cancer. Recent research at the University of California has found that avocadoes are loaded with nutrients that promote prostate health and inhibit the growth of both the androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. Avocadoes are loaded with carotenoids including lutein, zeaxanthin, alpha-carotene, and beta carotene. They also contain a significant amount of vitamin E and they are a source of monosaturated fatty acids. Apparently the fatty acids assist the absorption of the carotenoids into the blood. The researchers discovered that extracts of the carotenoids and vitamin E from avocadoes inhibited the growth of both the androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells.
Senior Men Need Alpha and Gamma Vitamin E
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When folks are younger taking multivitamin supplements that contain vitamin E as one of the vitamins, the supplement usually lists the alpha form of vitamin E which is the most important component for that age group. It turns out that there are a number of other components found in natural food sources of vitamin E. When we age and enter our senior years our bodies change and the vitamin supplements that enhanced our health when we were younger may not enhance our health, but may even degrade it. This is definitely the case with the alpha component of vitamin E. Recent research has shown that senior men need to supplement with the gamma component of vitamin E as well as the alpha component, in order to maintain prostate health.
In one recent large scale test that was designed to resolve the issue of whether or not vitamin E helped to promote prostate health and to preempt prostate cancer the result was negative. That particular test used the alpha component of vitamin E which is why the test produced a negative result. Other research has shown that senior men need to consume the gamma component of vitamin E along with the alpha component in order to promote their prostate health. A number of foods such as asparagus, avocado, almonds and sunflower kernels contain the full spectrum of vitamin E components. Senior men would be well advised to add these foods to their diets or to use supplements that contain the full spectrum of vitamin E including both the alpha and gamma components.
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What Are the Tiny But Heart Healthy Seeds?
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Recent studies have shown that these tiny seeds contain two unique seed lignans that contribute in multiple ways to foster healthy hearts in order to assist in preventing cardiovascular disease. The seeds that manifested these remarkable properties are none other than sesame seeds. The two lignans are known as sesamin and sesmol. They have been shown to fight inflamation, boost the body’s antioxidant capacity, and enhance vitamin E bioavailabilty. Its ability to boost the body’s antioxidant capacity has been shown to inhibit artherosclerosis. The researchers suspect that the way the sesame lignans inhibit artherosclerosis is a result of working synergistically with vitamin E in the body.
Vitamin E is a very strong fat-soluble antioxidant that protects cells from oxidation. The alpha component of vitamin E is well known and is included in typical multivatamin supplements. More recently the importance of the gamma component of vitamin E has ben discovered. It turns out that the gamma tocopherol may be the more effective in in quenching a nitrogen-based free radical that is associated with many inflammatory processes. In addition the gamma tocopherol inhibits the formation of pro-inflamatory prostaglandins which are a major contributor to cardiovascular disease. Additional good news concerns sesame seeds ability to increase both alpha and gamma tocopherols in the body. In fact some researchers found that sesame helped prevent the breakdown of gamma tocopherol in the body. This is good news for seniors who are searching for preemptive ageing steps that they can take to foster their senior health.
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Prostate Cancer Risk Reduction for Seniors
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Men entering their senior years have an increased risk of prostate cancer. The good news is that a number of preemptive aging steps can be taken that will reduce that risk. Many factors contribute to the risk of senior men contracting prostate cancer, but changes in lifestyle and nutrition can provide protection against it. Lowering the risk increases the probability of escaping protate cancer. For example diets that are high in Omega-6 and saturated fats increase the risk, but the Omega-3 fats found in fish oil decrease the risk. Adding plant foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, and soy protects against prostate cancer and numerous other diseases.
Adding key supplements to senior’s diets can further reduce the risk. Vitamin D has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin E was used with selenium in an extensive study that produced a negative result in terms of preventing prostate cancer. Fortunately for senior men an analysis of that study revealed that only one component of vitamin E, the alpha component, was used. Other studies have shown that the gamma component of vitamin E is needed to balance the alpha component. Seniors can add both components by means of supplements or by adding foods that are rich in all the components of vitamin E. For example almonds, sunflower nuts and asparagus provide the full spectrum of vitamin E.
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Senior Men Need Complete Vitamin E
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Good health requires good nutrition which includes all the standard vitamins including vitamin E. Vitamin E is an active antioxidant that protects vitamins A and C as well as selenium and fat compounds from being oxidized. Good food sources of vitamin E include almonds, asparagus, avocados, spinach and other green leafy vegetables as well as wheat germ and eggs. The food sources contain the full spectrum of compounds that make up vitamin E. These eight compounds are known as tocopherols and they are labeled starting with alpha through theta in the Greek alphabet.
The alpha component is typically included in multivitamins. One large scale study that was designed to show that vitamin E would help to prevent prostate cancer produced a negative result. The study used the alpha component of vitamin E. It turns out that senior men need to consume the gamma component of the vitamin E tocopherol for their good senior health particularly their prostate health. Recent research results appear to indicate that senior men who are not getting the full spectrum of eight tocopherols, particularly the gamma component, may not be doing their prostates any favors. This is why senior men need either to consume foods with sufficient vitamin E or to take special supplements that contain the full spectrum of all the vitamin E tocopherols.
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