According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, vitamin E is a blend of eight antioxidants–four tocotrienols and four tocopherols. The human body maintains and uses alpha-tocopherol, which is the only form of the vitamin to meet the recommended daily allowance. If your body doesn’t have enough vitamin E, you may benefit by taking it as an oral supplement.
Ultraviolet Protection
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, part of the National Institutes of Health, vitamin E may help protect your body from reactive oxygen species. An ROS negatively works with a free radical cell to cause damage to the body. A free radical cell is a molecule in the body with an unshared electron. Many researchers have linked free radical cells to conditions such as cancer. The unshared electron in the free radical cell reacts with the ROS, triggering issues in the body. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is a main environmental ROS. If you spend time outside without wearing a hat or head covering, vitamin E may help protect your hair from the ultraviolet rays. It may add extra protection if you spray sunblock on your hair.
Hair Color
One of the most noticeable signs of age is gray hair. The Kid’s Health website lists the cause for gray, white or silver hair as a decrease in the amount of melanin in the hair follicle, which is a tube of tissue supporting the strand of hair. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, vitamin E helps protect the body from the signs of aging that free radicals can cause by helping reduce the deterioration, or aging, of tissue. That means the vitamin could help you keep your younger-looking hair color longer than if you didn’t take the vitamin.
Hair Growth
The website for Health Guidance states that healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp. The site, along with other resources for hair, recommends eating a proper diet in order to promote a healthy scalp. One vitamin E benefit is that it promotes circulation and increases oxygen in the body, according to Holistic Online. More circulation to your scalp can help prevent the normal issues people have with scalps, such as oily or dry skin. Having the correct amount of circulation reaching your head can promote hair growth. Many people who take vitamin E claim they notice that their hair grows faster when they take a vitamin E supplement. As of 2010, researchers need to do more studies to determine whether scientific evidence can support this claim.
Photo Credit
- hair image by Dubravko Grakalic from Fotolia.com
