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Vitamin E Shows its Value in the First 1,000 Days of Life 


We all know that vitamins and minerals play a vital role in our health. A new study has found that Vitamin E is especially important within the first 1,000 days of life starting at conception. Vitamin E is one of the the most difficult vitamins to obtain from the diet alone. Very few people are able to consume the dietary recommendations for Vitamin E everyday. Many people think that Vitamin E deficiency does not happen because the recommended intake is only 15 mg a day. However, deficiency in Vitamin E is happening at an alarming rate. Some symptoms of Vitamin E deficiency are evident but, other symptoms like neurological complications, brain development, and resistance to infection are not seen until late stages of the deficiency. 


Some of the best sources of Vitamin E are nuts, seeds, sunflower oil, and spinach. The average American diet does not include enough of these foods so 90 percent of men and 96 percent of women do not consume enough Vitamin E daily. The study found that those who are motivated to eat a healthy diet consume almost the recommended 15 mg/day. 


As stated earlier Vitamin E is critical for the nervous system and brain development. These two processes start at conception. This period is extremely crucial because the brain and nervous system only develop when in ureto. You cannot make up for it later in life by consuming a lot of Vitamin E. This study found out that it is recommended that pregnant women, nursing women and young children need a Vitamin E supplement because this is such a critical stage. One study found that a Vitamin E deficiency can cause neurological disorders and muscle deterioration. Another study found that people with higher concentrations of Vitamin E at birth had better cognition at age two. In conclusion, there seems to be a positive correlation between Vitamin E within the first 1,000 days and cognitive development. 



Maret Traber. Vitamin E Inadequacy in Humans: Causes and Consequences.Advances in Nutrition, September 2014



-KO

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