7. Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that is thought to protect the body from various diseases, including cancer. This is because the main function of Vitamin E is to act as an antioxidant in the body. Antioxidants are critical in the body’s fight against cancer. One of the things that set Vitamin E aside is the fact that it is fast-acting. It reacts to and destroys free radical cells before they get a chance to damage the DNA of healthy cells. This prevents the cells from mutating and becoming cancer cells.
This means that, in theory, Vitamin E is able to stop cancer before it starts. Studies have shown it to be effective in relation to colon, prostate, and lung cancers. Vitamin E is produced by plants. It is found in its greatest quantities in plant oils. That is why we need to eat foods rich in Vitamin E in order to have enough of this precious substance in our bodies.
Vitamin E is stored in the body’s fat tissue and is not as accessible as other Vitamins such as Vitamin A. That means that regular Vitamin E intake is required in order to maintain sufficient levels in the body so that its antioxidant properties can be maximized in the fight against free radicals. Interestingly, consuming sufficient Vitamin C helps the body to recycle Vitamin E and use it more than once.
Just because Vitamin E is generally found in high concentrations in plant oils doesn’t mean that it isn’t available in other fruits and vegetables. It is, for instance, found in the jackfruit which can be introduced into the diet to keep Vitamin E levels optimally stable.