Figures from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines Scientific Advisory Committee reveal that approximately 90 percent of adults in the United States do not consume the recommended daily amount of vitamin E.

While average intake levels are not low enough to result in clinical deficiencies, they certainly point to increased disease risk.

After all, vitamin E is necessary for:

• Protection of cells from free radicals oxidative damage (oxidative damage is one factor that increase one’s risk for various degenerative diseases)
• Prevention of LDL-cholesterol oxidation (a condition that speeds up the hardening of the arteries)
• Decreased blood clot formation
• Modulation of pathways significant in prevention of heart disease
• Healthy lung cells

Of note: research has demonstrated time and time again that vitamin E is significantly more effective when consumed from foods, rather than supplements.

Here is your handy-dandy “good sources of vitamin E” list:

• Almonds
• Avocado
• Hazelnuts
• Kiwi
• Mustard greens
• Olive oil
• Peanuts
• Pine nuts
• Sunflower oil
• Sunflower seeds
• Walnuts
• Wheat germ