With Father’s Day just around the corner, we thought we would put together a little blog to share some health and wellbeing tips for all the dads, stepdads and father figures in our lives.
Did you know a healthy diet for men includes:
- At least 2 cups of fruits and 2½ cups of vegetables each day for vitamins, minerals, fibre and phytochemicals.
- Whole grains. Eat at least half of all grains as whole grains each day. Replace refined grains with whole-grain bread, cereal, pasta, brown rice or oats.
- At least 38 grams of fibre per day for younger men; 30 grams of fibre per day for men older than 50.
- Unsaturated fats such as oils, nuts and oil-based salad dressings in place of saturated fats including full-fat dairy foods, butter and high-fat sweets.
- 3,400 milligrams a day of potassium from fruits, and vegetables.
As you will have seen from our previous blog articles, Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant which has long been championed for its many health benefits. From its immune boosting function to reducing the appearance of scars and blemishes, this fat-soluble vitamin plays several important roles in the body.
It can be found in abundance in avocados with 14% DV per serving! While most of us get enough Vitamin E through our diets, this hasn’t stopped some people from taking supplements or applying creams with added Vitamin E in them. So should you be doing the same?
Here are three things every man should know about Vitamin E:
- Vitamin E plays an essential role in protecting the skin from damage caused by free-radicals and supports healthy immune function.
- Vitamin E benefits are most pronounced when combined with additional vitamins. Vitamin E deficiencies are rare and taking too much of it can be harmful.
You can try adding a splash of our Avocado Oil to your face or body moisturiser, take a look at our previous Winter Skin Serum recipe here and swap out our Apricot Oil for the Avocado Oil.
What Is Vitamin E?
Vitamin E comes in eight different forms, known as isomers. These isomers can be broken into two groups: tocopherol and tocotrienol.
Vitamin E is synthesised by plants and found in foods such as avocados, spinach, whole grains and nuts. It serves several important functions in the body, such as regulating the formation of red blood cells, boosting skin cell production and helping the body utilise Vitamin K.
Skin Health Benefits of Vitamin E for Men
Anti-ageing
Vitamin E protects skin cells from free radicals, which helps slow down signs of ageing, the benefits can be reaped by consuming foods rich in Vitamin E or by applying them to the skin directly.
In fact, Vitamin E is often used in sunscreens and daily moisturisers for men due to its photoprotective properties. Research shows that alpha-tocopherol, the primary naturally occurring isomer in Vitamin E, can potentially prevent skin damage from UV rays.
Fights Acne
Men tend to have oilier skin than women, which can lead to acne breakouts; Vitamin E has been linked to helping with spot-prone skin. There are some studies which suggest that a diet rich in Vitamin E (along with Vitamin A and zinc) can help reduce acne symptoms.
Additional Health Benefits of Vitamin E for Men
Vitamin E can offer men more benefits apart from better skin. For example, there is some evidence to suggest that Vitamin E can boost the immune system and even fight off diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
However, it’s important to remember that research on the benefits of Vitamin E for men is limited and you should always consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet.