From the recent recommendation by the the American Medical Association that all adults should take a multivitamin every day, to the even more recent debate about hormones and menopause, it's becoming clear that our foods are not giving us what we need. Supplements are big news.

For women, this is an even more crucial issue because our bodies are in a constant state of change. For younger women, in addition to the monthly hormonal shifts of menstruation, there are the special nutritional needs of pregnancy. Eventually, and it's never too soon to start thinking about this, the gradual decline of many of the hormones that make maternity possible – the time known as menopause. And, for all women, hanging over it all is our constant vigilance against breast cancer.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that is a powerful biological antioxidant. Antioxidants such as vitamin E protect your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body's metabolism. Free radicals can cause cell damage that may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Studies on the specific effects of vitamin E are in their early stages, as is most supplement research, but there is promising evidence that associates higher intake of vitamin E with a decreased incidence breast cancer and colon cancer.

Currently, the recommended daily allowance of vitamin E for women ages 19 and up is 15 mg or 22 IU daily. In addition, a study released in late 1998 shows that natural vitamin E, as opposed to the synthetic variety, was more easily absorbed by a fetus. This study urged pregnant women to ask their doctor for a natural supplement. This is important because premature infants are often born with a vitamin E deficiency that can lead to breathing problems.

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