One of the biggest threats to our skin is skin cancer, which can be caused by many factors including overexposure to the sun. While there is no cure for skin cancer, there are steps you can take to prevent it from occurring.
One of these steps is to include Vitamin E in your daily diet. In this article, we will discuss how Vitamin E can help prevent skin cancer and which sources of Vitamin E to include in your diet.
What is Vitamin E?
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant in the body. It helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, which can lead to cancer, heart disease, and other chronic conditions.
Vitamin E is also critical for maintaining healthy skin and hair, as it helps to keep them moisturized and flexible.
How Does Vitamin E Help Prevent Skin Cancer?
Vitamin E helps to protect the skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation by neutralizing free radicals and reducing inflammation. Free radicals can damage the DNA in skin cells, leading to mutations that can cause cancer.
Vitamin E also helps to reduce inflammation, which can contribute to the development of cancerous cells.
Studies have shown that vitamin E supplements can help reduce the incidence of skin cancer, especially in people who are at high risk for the disease.
One study found that people who took vitamin E supplements for four years had a 30% lower risk of developing skin cancer than those who did not take the supplements.
Sources of Vitamin E
Vitamin E is found naturally in many foods, including:.
- Almonds and other nuts
- Seeds, such as sunflower seeds
- Vegetable oils, such as wheat germ oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil
- Leafy greens, such as spinach and kale
- Fruits, such as avocado and mango
You can also find vitamin E in fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals and soy milk.
When choosing foods that are high in vitamin E, it’s important to look for whole foods rather than processed foods, which may have lower amounts of the vitamin.
How Much Vitamin E Do You Need?
The recommended daily amount of vitamin E for adults is 15mg. This can easily be obtained through a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods, such as those listed above.
However, if you feel that you are not getting enough vitamin E through your diet alone, you may want to consider taking a supplement.
If you do decide to take a supplement, it’s important to speak to your doctor first, as high doses of vitamin E can be toxic and have negative health effects.
It’s also important to choose a high-quality supplement that provides natural forms of vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) rather than synthetic forms (dl-alpha-tocopherol).
Conclusion
In conclusion, including vitamin E in your diet can be a simple but effective way to help prevent skin cancer.
Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from free radicals, and reducing inflammation, which can contribute to the development of cancerous cells. By consuming natural sources of vitamin E, you can give your body the nutrients it needs to maintain healthy skin and prevent disease.