Nutri-E 400™

DESCRIPTION
Nutri E 400 by Douglas Laboratories contains 400 I.U. of 100% natural, unesterified vitamin E (d-alpha- tocopherol), plus other mixed tocopherols per softgel. No synthetic vitamin E is used.
FUNCTIONS
Vitamin E is the collective term for four fat-soluble, natural compounds with similar chemical structure; alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol. Of these, alpha-tocopherol has the highest nutritional activity. Eight structural isomers of alpha-tocopherol are possible, but only the d-alpha-tocopherol (RRR- alpha-tocopherol) occurs in nature. The other seven isomers have less nutritional activity, and are present only in synthetic vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol) Douglas Laboratories’ vitamin E softgels contain only natural isomers of vitamin E, including d-alpha, d-beta, d-gamma, and d-delta tocopherols.
Vitamin E is one of the body’s most important antioxidant nutrients. Antioxidants protect healthy cells from oxidative and free radical damage. Free radicals are unstable chemicals formed in the body during metabolism and from exposure to environmental sources, such as pollution and cigarette smoke. Free radicals are necessary for energy metabolism and immune function, but when an excessive number of free radicals are formed, they can attack healthy cells, especially cell membrane lipids and proteins. This, in turn, is thought to contribute to a number of degenerative diseases. Vitamin E is an especially valuable antioxidant in the cell membranes, where it prevents oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids by trapping free radicals. This helps stabilize and protect cell membranes, especially red blood cells and tissues sensitive to oxidation, such as the lungs, eyes, and arteries. Vitamin E also protects the liver and other tissues from the free- radical damage of toxicants, such as mercury, lead, ozone, nitrous oxide, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, cresol, and various drugs.
Related to its antioxidant properties, vitamin E is
important for normal immune function, and many studies show that it prevents lipid peroxidation of blood lipoproteins, such as LDL-cholesterol. Intestinal absorption of vitamin E is associated with fat absorption. Some dietary fat must be present for efficient vitamin E absorption to occur. Studies show that natural d-alpha-tocopherol is more efficiently absorbed and has significantly higher bioavailability than synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol. Once absorbed, vitamin E is transported into the circulatory system via chylomicrons, and then transferred to VLDL, LDL and HDL particles. Tissues slowly accumulate vitamin E from these plasma lipoproteins. Liver and adipose tissues have the highest concentrations, but muscle also accounts for a large proportion of vitamin E stores in the body.
INDICATIONS
Vitamin E may be a useful dietary supplement for those who wish to increase their daily intake of vitamin E in its potent, natural form.