The National Post, a leading Canadian newspaper, calls Vitamin E a "heavy hitter in the world of nutrition supplements."

"Because it (Vitamin E) offers such a vast array of potential health benefits," the newspaper said, "health care professionals stress the importance of getting enough of this powerful antioxidant.

"It can be difficult, however, to consume adequate amounts of Vitamin E through diet alone," the National Post reported. "The University of California at Berkeley's Wellness Letter suggests that people take between 200 and 400 international units of Vitamin E a day, an amount that would be impossible to get without eating a huge amount of high-fat nuts, seeds or vegetable oil."

The newspaper noted that the "natural form of Vitamin E is better absorbed and retained by the body" and that "people taking natural Vitamin E will end up with about twice the amount of the vitamin in the bloodstream than those who take a synthetic version." Look for labels saying "d-alpha tocopherol," meaning natural Vitamin E, the newspaper said. Natural Vitamin E is made from soybeans; the synthetics are made from petroleum sources.

SOURCE Foods for the Future