Vitamin E – another family

As with the ‘B’ and ‘D’ vitamins, vitamin E is a family eight of molecules. Four are classed as Tocopherols and four as Tocotrienols. Both sets of four molecules are named alpha (α), beta (β), gamma (γ) and delta (δ).

This molecule of RRR alpha-tocopherol was kindly reporduced according to the licence at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RRR_alpha-tocopherol.png

The vitamin is a fat soluble antioxidant and it protects cell membranes from reacting with lipid radicals.

A deficiency of it is rare and it is believed that conditions such as muscular disease (myopathy) can be attributed to it.

Good sources of vitamin E in the diet include sunflower oil, tomatoes, nuts, mangoes, broccoli and pumpkin.