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Msd Manual
In developed countries, the cause is usually an absorption disorder. Newborns have a relatively low reserve of vitamin E because only small amounts of vitamin E cross the placenta. Thus, newborns, particularly premature newborns, are at increased risk of vitamin E deficiency.
However, with age, risk decreases because infants usually get enough vitamin E in breast milk or in commercial formulas.
Why Is Vitamin E Important?
High doses of vitamin E can increase a risk of bleeding. It occurs naturally in a wide range of foods and is even added to certain food products to help you increase your intake.
You should only attempt to correct a suspected vitamin E deficiency after consulting your doctor. Supplements may cause complications, so it’s best to eat a healthy diet that includes many foods rich in vitamin E.
Diet
You can find vitamin E in a wide range of foods. These include:
nuts and seeds, such as almonds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and peanut butter
whole grains
vegetable-based oils, especially olive and sunflower
leafy vegetables
eggs
fortified cereals
kiwi
mango
Supplementation
Although taking supplements is a popular way to add vitamins and minerals to your diet, you should be cautious about taking vitamin E in supplement form.
Supplements aren’t regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so it can be difficult to determine the quality of the ingredients. For examples, some supplements only contain one type of vitamin E. Your body needs other types found in various food sources. It’s always best to get your nutrients from whole foods, rather than supplements.
Signs And Symptoms Of Deficiency
Low levels of vitamin E can lead to: Muscle weakness : Vitamin E is essential to the central nervous system. It is among the body’s main antioxidants, and a deficiency results in oxidative stress , which can lead to muscle weakness. : Vitamin E is essential to the central nervous system.
It is among the body’s main antioxidants, and a deficiency results in oxidative , which can lead to muscle weakness. : A deficiency can cause certain neurons, called the Purkinje neurons, to break down, harming their ability to transmit signals. Numbness and tingling : Damage to nerve fibers can prevent the nerves from transmitting signals correctly, resulting in these sensations, which are also called peripheral neuropathy.
Vision deterioration : A vitamin E deficiency can weaken light receptors in the retina and other cells in the eye. : A vitamin E deficiency can weaken light receptors in the retina and other cells in the eye. This can lead to loss of vision over time.
The peripheral system is the network of nerves located beyond the brain and spinal cord. These neurons pass messages throughout the body. The central nervous system communicates between the brain and the spinal cord.
The sheaths of neurons are mostly composed of fats.
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Medical condition
Vitamin E deficiency Specialty Endocrinology
Vitamin E deficiency in humans is a very rare condition, occurring as a consequence of abnormalities in dietary fat absorption or metabolism rather than from a diet low in vitamin E.[1] Collectively the EARs, RDAs, AIs and ULs for vitamin E and other essential nutrients are referred to as Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). There are no records of it from simple lack of vitamin E in a person’s diet, but it can arise from physiological abnormalities.
[6]
– birth weights less than 1500 grams (3.3 pounds). Rare disorders of fat metabolism – There is a rare genetic condition termed isolated vitamin E deficiency or ‘ataxia with isolated with vitamin E deficiency’, caused by mutations in the gene for the tocopherol transfer protein. [7] These individuals have an extremely poor capacity to absorb vitamin E and develop neurological complications that are reversed by high doses of vitamin E.
– There is a rare genetic condition termed isolated vitamin E deficiency or ‘ataxia with isolated with vitamin E deficiency’, caused by mutations in the gene for the tocopherol transfer protein.
Anyone diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, individuals who have had part or all of their stomach removed or who have had a gastric bypass, and individuals with malabsorptive problems such as Crohn’s disease, liver disease or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency may not absorb fat (people who cannot absorb fat often pass greasy stools or have chronic diarrhea and bloating). Diagnosis [ edit ]
The U.S. Institute of Medicine defines deficiency as a serum concentration of less than 12 μmol/L. The symptoms can be enough for a diagnosis to be formed.
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Treatment [ edit ]
Treatment is oral vitamin E supplementation. [3]
See also [ edit.