The vitamin E most often referred to and sold in most stores is a synthetic form of the vitamin , which really should NOT be used if you want to reap any of its health benefits . You can tell what you ' re buying by carefully reading the label .
� Natural vitamin E is always listed as the " d- " form ( d-alpha-tocopherol , d-beta-tocopherol , etc .)
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Synthetic vitamin E is listed as " dl- " forms
The best way to ensure that your body is getting the full spectrum of vitamin E , in a form your body can beneficially use , is to make smart dietary choices . Good dietary sources of vitamin E include nuts , such as hazelnuts , almonds , walnuts , and pecans ; seeds such as sunflower seeds ; olive oil ; legumes ; and green vegetables , such as spinach and broccoli .
# 7 : Vitamin A
Vitamin A is an essential fat-soluble vitamin that is important for maintaining healthy skin , teeth , bones , cell membranes , and vision . Vitamin A , like vitamin D , is also essential for your immune system . It ’ s a precursor to active hormones that regulate the expression of your genes , and vitamin A and D work in tandem . For example , there is evidence that without vitamin D , vitamin A can be ineffective or even toxic . But if you ’ re deficient in vitamin A , vitamin D cannot function properly either , so a balance of these two vitamins is essential .
Unfortunately , we do not yet know the optimal ratios between these two vitamins , which is why it ’ s best to get them from food and sun exposure , rather than relying on supplements . It ’ s also important to understand the difference between retinol and beta-carotene . 14 Both are important forms of vitamin A , but it can be very difficult to get sufficient amounts of vitamin A from beta-carotene alone . Unless your intestinal health is top notch , and you eat your veggies with healthy fat , getting your vitamin A in the form of retinol from organic animal products is your best bet , and here ’ s why :
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Retinol is preformed vitamin A , found in animal products such as grass-fed meat and poultry , liver , fish , and raw organic dairy products like butter . This is the form of vitamin A your body can actually use . Beta-carotene is pre-vitamin A , found in plant foods like fruits and vegetables . In order for your body to actually use beta-carotene , it must first convert it into retinol , and to do this , you need to have a well-functioning digestive tract and sufficient bile produced by your gallbladder . Specific enzymes are also needed to break down the carotene for the conversion into retinol to occur . Most people have poor gut health , which makes beta-carotene a poor alternative as a primary source of vitamin A . Also , to optimize the usable amount of vitamin A from your vegetables , you need to eat them with a bit of healthy fat , since bile is produced to help break down fat in your diet .
Vitamin A production is tightly controlled in your body , the source ( substrate ) being carotenoids from vegetables in your intestine . Your body uses these carotenoid substrates to make exactly
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