Nutrition and Wellness

Everything You Need to Know about Vitamin E

January 08, 2025 3 min read

My epiphany about Vitamin E came at the same time as my epiphany about Vitamin K and the rest of the nutrients.

My diet was only focused on macros, and because of that I felt terrible all the time.

Then one week I decided to take my diet more seriously and see if there was a difference. For one whole week I modified my diet to try to hit every single RDI of every vitamin and mineral.

Since then, I have tracked every micronutrient, mineral, macro, and calorie to make sure I perform my best every day. While that may sound like a lot to do every day, I recommend using Cronometer to make it easy to track everything.

That being said, here is all you need to know about Vitamin E, and what foods to eat to get all you need.

The Importance of Vitamin E

It is a vital nutrient that acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect your cells from damage. It's also important for your immune system, skin health, and overall cellular function.

Functions of Vitamin E

Antioxidant: It helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, which are harmful molecules produced during normal cell metabolism and in response to environmental stressors like pollution and UV radiation.
Immune Function: It plays a crucial role in supporting the immune system. It helps your body fight off infections by enhancing the function of immune cells.
Skin Health: It is essential for maintaining healthy skin. It helps reduce inflammation, speeds up cell regeneration, and keeps your skin moisturized.

Where to Get It

Here are some common foods that are good sources, along with how much you get per serving:

Sunflower Seeds: 1 ounce (28 grams) - 7.4 milligrams of vitamin E
Almonds: 1 ounce (28 grams) - 7.3 milligrams of vitamin E
Spinach: 1 cup (cooked) - 3.7 milligrams of vitamin E
Avocado: 1 medium - 2.7 milligrams of vitamin E
Olive Oil: 1 tablespoon - 1.9 milligrams of vitamin E
Broccoli: 1 cup (cooked) - 2.3 milligrams of vitamin E
Kiwi: 1 medium-sized - 1.1 milligrams of vitamin E

Daily Requirements

The recommended daily intake is 15 milligrams

Signs of a Deficiency

Vitamin E deficiency is rare but can lead to serious health issues. Symptoms include:

Muscle weakness
Vision problems
Impaired immune function
Numbness and tingling in the extremities

How to Ensure Adequate Intake

Eat a Balanced Diet: Include vitamin E-rich foods in your diet. A mix of nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, and healthy oils can help you meet your daily requirements.

Supplements: If you have trouble getting enough from your diet, consider taking a supplement after consulting with your healthcare provider.
Monitor Fat Intake: Vitamin E is fat-soluble, which means it needs fat to be absorbed properly. Ensure you're consuming healthy fats to aid in absorption

Conclusion

Understanding the importance of nutrients transformed my approach to nutrition and wellness. By ensuring you get enough of these essential nutrients, you can significantly improve your overall health.

Another key nutrient that many ignore is vitamin K, to learn more about this essential vitamin click here!

Don't make the same mistakes I did—pay attention to these important nutrients and enjoy the benefits of a well-rounded diet.

FAQ

Porrada is a Portuguese term commonly used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Brazilian culture to describe a tough, intense, and gritty style of training or fighting. The direct translation of porrada from Portuguese to English is "beating" or "brawl." It embodies the spirit of going all out, giving your maximum effort, and pushing through challenges. In BJJ, practicing porrada means training with high intensity and determination.

This website is a collection of resources curated by grapplers, for grapplers. Our goal is to provide you with all the information you need to succeed. Whether you want to learn about nutrition, training on the mats, lifting, or anything in between, we are here for you. We want to see you on the podium most of all, and we hope to help you do exactly that. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot us an email or DM us on any of our social profiles!

There are two main ways you can get started with training: 1) You can find a BJJ gym near you and do a trial day, or 2) you can create your own mini home gym and start training with friends. Option #2 is how our team at Porrada got started! We ordered 1-inch thick puzzle mats in a 10’x10’ square and began training using online resources. If you do start with the second option, we recommend eventually finding a gym down the road in your career. It will help you by allowing you to roll with more people and receive high-level instruction.

BJJ is quite similar to wrestling. Both start standing and use takedowns as a method to score points. Both use very similar mechanics overall. The main differences are that there are no pins (you can be on your back in Jiu-Jitsu), BJJ involves submissions, and the points system for each is very different. BJJ grants points for takedowns/sweeps, back control, mount, guard passes, and knee on belly. Wrestling grants points for takedowns, escapes, and back points (back exposure for freestyle).

BJJ is a very unique sport in many ways. There are so many incredible benefits to training Jiu-Jitsu. The biggest reasons we advocate for it are the mindset training and the added ability to defend yourself. In BJJ, you are forced to humble yourself over and over again, every single day. This sport is a great way to mature rapidly and generally become a better person (in our opinion). You will also have a better ability to defend yourself than 99% of the population—a pretty big bonus.

You’re never too old to start training! We see people on the mats of all ages and sizes. Large and small, old and young can, and should, train BJJ. If you are on the older side, it is perfectly acceptable to take it slow and learn at your own pace. You don’t always have to go full speed—don’t worry. There are typically also classes that separate people by goals. Certain classes are for those who want to compete, some are for general instruction, and some are specifically for self-defense teachings. There is a place for everyone on the mats.