Vitamin E & Your Brain

Quickly answer this. Don't overthink it. Just answer with the first thing that comes to your mind: 'What does Vitamin E do in your body?'

Drawing a blank? Well, you're not alone.

When it comes to nutrients, most can probably name at least one benefit for most vitamins and minerals: Vitamin C for immunity, Iron for healthy blood, Calcium for strong bones.*

But what about Vitamin E? And why did HCF® opt to include it in some of our advanced nootropics? If you don't know much about this underappreciated nutrient, keep reading.

How does Vitamin E work? Science is here to elucidate.

Studies have shown that Vitamin E can play different roles throughout the body, particularly for your brain system (head, heart, and gut) and the rest of the Central Nervous System (CNS).*

In fact, Vitamin E may be one of those essential nutrients that protect cells from free radicals, thereby maintaining the integrity of your neural networks.*^1,2

Neurons (and cells) are formed primarily from cholesterol and polyunsaturated fats. These substances can be susceptible to oxidative harm. If you have ever kept a bottle of oil or, let's say, some nuts improperly packed for too long, you probably smelled it (or tasted it)—the rancidity caused by oxidation.

A similar chemical reaction can also happen inside your neurons (and other cells). And not just in those 86 billion neurons in your head-brain, but also in the (approximately) 40,000 neurons in your heart-brain and the 500 million neurons in your gut-brain. Neurons in the heart and gut? Yes!*

→ In 1991, scientists discovered that your heart has its own 'Intrinsic Cardiac Nervous System'—or 'little brain'—composed of about 40,000 neurons.*

→ Similarly, the 'Enteric Nervous System (ENS)'—our 'gut brain'—houses about 500 million neurons that can act independently from the head-brain and make complex health decisions.* This was such a fantastic discovery that it prompted a new field of science: neurogastroenterology—a branch of gastroenterology that overlaps with neurology.

Going back to Vitamin E, when levels of this nutrient are low, red blood cells are more likely to burst due to damage to the fats within the cells. But, as a potent antioxidant, Vitamin E may protect your cells from 'going rancid.'*

A 2014 study explored how Vitamin E's antioxidant properties might impact overall health. Researchers found that Vitamin E may be "effective as a protectant and reversal of various health complications due to its function as an antioxidant, its role in anti-inflammatory processes, its inhibition of platelet aggregation, and its immune-enhancing activity."*³

Vitamin E may help the brain system maintain its ability to change throughout life.*

In particular, Vitamin E may help maintain cognition and brain plasticity (neuroplasticity) by helping reduce oxidative stress in the head-brain.*^4,5 Neuroplasticity is the brain's extraordinary ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. It is the foundation of learning and memory. In short, it's what's allowing you to adapt to new experiences and recover from brain injuries.⁴ Pretty cool, right?

Supporting brain neuroplasticity is a particularly interesting Vitamin E property because it may explain why higher intakes may support cognition in seniors.*⁶

A good example comes from a large study conducted on 2,613 people residing in the Netherlands. Participants with the lowest intakes of Vitamin E had twice the memory decline measured over five years than people with higher intakes.*⁷

Not sure you're getting enough Vitamin E foods in your diet?

Don't worry. We got you! Here’s what you need to know:

Now, before starting to up your intake, you may want to pay attention to foods rich in oils, as these can also increase the Omega-6 to Omega-3 Fatty Acids ratio in your diet. And an imbalance in Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio may lead to inflammation.*

While common in foods, Vitamin E deficiency may still be a reason for concern among Americans.*

Vitamin E deficiency can result from family history (typically linked to metabolism and lipid absorption and transport) and certain challenges related to nutrient absorption.*⁸

At HCF®, our goal is to complement your balanced diet with our advanced nootropics to feed and nourish not just your head-brain, but all three brains (head, heart, and gut) and address some common nutrient gaps.*

In terms of our preferred Vitamin E, we depart from the norm (the Vitamin E you typically see in most nootropics is Alpha-Tocopherol) and use all four tocopherols—alpha, beta, gamma, and delta—just as they are found in a balanced diet.*