Healthy aging is everyone's goal. That's why I want to talk about how Vitamin E may be able to help. Heart disease is everyone's concern but many women are not aware that one in three women dies of heart disease. But heart disease also can lead to disability and a significantly decreased quality of life. Both heart disease and stroke are known as cardiovascular diseases, which are serious disorders of the heart and blood vessel system. If your family tree looks like mine, you need to start considering a healthy lifestyle for everyone in the family. After all, Vitamin E is a family affair. Vitamin E is actually a family of eight compounds that includes both gamma-tocopherol (the main form in food) and alpha-tocopherol (the main form in supplements).

You have heard conflicting stories about Vitamin E in the news. Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin with antioxidant properties that protects your cell membranes from the damage caused by free radicals. [Free radicals can cause cell injury that may add to the development of heart disease and cancer]. Several studies are trying to determine whether vitamin E might help prevent or delay the development of these chronic diseases. Unfortunately, vitamin E's famous reputation as a protector against heart disease has diminished in recent years. However, Swedish scientists might have a clue in their study which was published in the March American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They propose that the "form" of vitamin E may have something to do with whether heart-health benefits are observed.