Hey there, health nuts.
How often do you think about Vitamin E?
Be honest, probably not a lot.
I didn’t either.
That was until I realized how important it was.
Let’s just say Vitamin E helps keep your immune system intact, as well as maintain
proper brain function.
It’s antioxidant qualities exist in a wide range of foods.
Let’s discuss 6 Signs You Aren’t Getting Enough Vitamin E.
Do you feel muscle weakness?
How about difficulties walking?
Will Vitamin E deficiency cause my vision to deteriorate?
We’re talking all that AND more…
Let’s begin.
Vision Deterioration If you’re not getting enough Vitamin E,
your vision will suffer.
The vitamin plays an important role in the wellbeing of your eyes.
The antioxidants found in vitamin E help fight against free radicals.
If your free radicals remain unchallenged, the area of the body in which they flourish
will be damaged.
In this case, your eye tissue will begin to break down.
Eventually, your deficiency can weaken the light receptors in your eye, leading to impaired
vision.
Lack of Vitamin E in your diet can also affect your eyes in other ways.
Imagine going about your day when all of the sudden, your eye begins moving uncontrollably.
This is known as nystagmus-- Say it with me ‘nystagmus’.
I know it sounds funny.
But trust me, it is no laughing matter!
Don’t you just love hearing that original line?
Cheesy jokes aside, nystagmus can be a byproduct of a Vitamin E deficiency.
But it only gets scarier.
You see, this is one of many issues this deficiency brings on.
Ready for another odd word?
Ever heard of ataxia?
Ataxia is a condition when a person is unable to control their muscle movements.
It is often defined by speech changes, difficulty swallowing and changes to the eyes.
Research shows that lack of Vitamin E contributes to ataxia.
In fact, there is a specific condition known as ‘AVED’, ataxia with Vitamin E deficiency.
Symptoms are usually displayed between the ages of 5 to 15.
If you notice that your eyes have been behaving strangely, do not hesitate to speak with a
doctor.
Your lack of Vitamin E could be responsible.
By the way, if you’re looking to increase your Vitamin E intake, you're going to want
to load up on foods such as green vegetables, almonds, fruits and vegetable oils.
Sunflower seeds are terrific as well.
The next time you're at a baseball game, try them!
It will make you feel like a child all over again.
Then again if your eyes aren’t working properly, you probably won’t see that flyball coming…
Numbness Yes, this deficiency also creates numbness.
No not emotional numbness.
If it could do that, we’d all be cutting Vitamin E, am I right?
I’m talking about a physical numbness caused by damaged nerve fibers that prevent your
nerves from sending signals to the brain.
This is known medically as peripheral neuropathy.
In 1998, researchers examined a 24 year old man who had been suffering from both ataxia
and peripheral neuropathy since early childhood.
As a result, his speech was slurred and his muscles weakened.
More on that a little later.
It turns out that his Vitamin E levels were dangerously low, which contributed to his
condition.
After providing him the right supplementation over the course of 2 years, experts saw no
progression of his peripheral neuropathy.
In fact, many of his symptoms had improved.
When it comes to supplements, you’re going to want to consult with a doctor beforehand.
But if you stick to foods that are rich in Vitamin E, there is a great chance they will
fight off this condition.
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Crohn's Disease We’re kind of cheating with this one.
Crohn’s is less of a symptom and more of a cause.
Either way, it’s an interesting point to mention.
Numerous studies have suggested a link between Vitamin E and Crohn's.
For those who don’t know, Crohn’s is an inflammatory bowel disease where the gastrointestinal
tract is affected.
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain and severe weight loss.
Vitamin E deficiency is often associated with diseases in which fat is not fully digested.
In the case of Crohn’s, one issue leads to another.
Because of symptoms such as ab pain and diarrhea, Crohn’s patients will be less inclined to
eat.
Because they are not eating, they are missing out on the proper nutrients.
Each issue feeds into the next.
No pun intended.
This lack of nutrients includes that of Vitamin E, as you may not be consuming foods that
contain abundant amounts.
If you continue skipping out on meals, your loss of appetite will lead to dehydration
and malnutrition.
The best foods to eat include low-fiber fruits, refined grains, oatmeal and cooked vegetables.
Muscle Weakness Going without Vitamin E can cause your muscles
to feel tired and insignificant.
When your muscles are used, it’s cells experience something called a membrane tear.
Without the help of Vitamin E’s antioxidants, these cells are unable to fully recover.
When you work out, your muscles go through a distinct process.
This is the ‘tear and repair’ routine.
Once the cells are torn, they need to fix themselves.
If they can’t begin the repair portion of the process, your muscles will not be able
to build.
Not getting the adequate amount of Vitamin E ensures that the muscle cells will not repair.
This spells out bad news for your muscles, especially as you get older.
Studies show that elderly people who do not consume enough Vitamin E are more likely to
develop frailty syndrome.
Over time, their muscles weaken throughout their body.
Negative muscle affects caused by Vitamin E are not only exhibited by humans.
Research has also shown that animals who go without the essential nutrient are also vulnerable
to muscle weakness.
This can be fatal in their case.
An experiment in 2015 was conducted on rats to see how their muscles would react when
given Vitamin E supplements.
It turns out that the rodents who ate supplements were able to run downhill easier than those
who were deficient.
Do you find this list interesting so far?
Well strap yourselves in, because there’s plenty more to come.
Before we continue, are you concerned about other deficiencies you may be suffering from?
Check out our latest videos discussing 9 Signs That You Aren’t Getting Enough Zinc.
Or how about 10 Signs You Have an Iron Deficiency.
But enough of that, let’s keep talking about Vitamin E, or lack thereof.
Difficulty Walking Simply put, if you go without Vitamin E, you’re
going to have difficulty maneuvering from place to place.
Forget not being able to build proper muscle.
Imagine not being able to use your legs.
Remember a moment ago when I mentioned the study regarding elderly folks who were Vitamin
E deficient?
Well aside from weak muscles, many of them over time lost their ability to walk.
With little Vitamin E comes a loss in coordination.
Vitamin E is essential for your body’s Purkinje neurons to function.
Located in the brain’s cerebellum, the Purkinje cell helps to control your body’s motor
movement.
When you are lacking in Vitamin E, their neurons break down, limiting their ability to send
signals.
In a 2014 examination of mice, those that were deficient in Vitamin E exhibited cellular
atrophy as well as cerebellar oxidative stress.
This meant that their Purkinje neurons weren’t as productive as they were supposed to be.
When they were fed supplements, these mice experienced an increase in cellular function
in their cerebellum.
From here, their brain was getting back to functioning normally.
Before moving on, we’d like to take a moment to thank Pur Gum for sponsoring this video.
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Loss of Cognitive Function Not only will your motor skills and muscles
weaken without Vitamin E, your overall brain function will worsen.
Elderly people with Vitamin deficiencies generally see a decrease in cognitive function quicker
than those who consume adequate amounts.
When free radicals are left without antioxidants to fight them, your brain will suffer the
consequences as much as any other area of your body.
Vitamin E supplements are known to assist people with mild cognitive impairment.
There have also been numerous studies that have focused on the effects of Vitamin E on
patients with Alzheimers.
While there’s so far no evidence that it increases their cognitive function, some experts
feel that it may slow down cognitive decline.
However, further research is needed to make any sort of conclusion.
Do any of these symptoms apply to you?
Have you felt Vitamin E deficiency?
Let us know in the comments below.
We would love to hear from you!