Vitamin E is a powerhouse antioxidant for both men and women. Antioxidants are essential to counteract the damaging effects of oxidation, which may seem obvious. But why is oxidation so bad?

Free radicals are created when oxygen reacts with other molecules in the body. Think about rust. It's the reaction of the metal with oxygen, and ultimately, it can lead to the metal breaking down. Free radicals are a normal byproduct of reactions in the body, but if unchecked, they go around causing damage, and this damage accumulates over time. Aging is, by and large, accumulation of oxidative damage.

That's what Vitamin E can help prevent. Studies of Vitamin E in heart disease have been conflicting. That could be due to the doses chosen or other factors, but many of us in healthcare still take far more Vitamin E than recommended and feel very comfortable recommending that patients do the same. It helps with your immune system, may actually help prevent colds, and it may aid in diabetes treatment.

Our reproductive cells are especially susceptible to oxidative damage, and most susceptible of all is sperm. But oxidative damage to sperm is also something that can be rectified in a fairly short period of time since sperm is continually replenished. Adjusting environmental factors and diet can help men produce better sperm.

What about women's reproductive cells? We're born with all the eggs we'll ever have, but they lie dormant until recruited for development. Therefore, while they are technically however old we are, they haven't been active all that time. However, as they are in the process of maturation, they can be damaged by free radicals. Taking an antioxidant (or more than one!) can help prevent this damage.

A key to Vitamin E is to find "natural" Vitamin E. Not all supplements are the same, and your body recognizes that. Vitamin E in tablet form is probably not a good product--look for a small orange liquid capsule. Taking 400 IU to 800 IU a day is unlikely to be harmful even though it exceeds the RDA.