Barrie Tan: Vitamin E for longevity

Choosing the most appropriate supplementation for optimum health and longevity can be a perplexing process.  This episode is the first of a series, over the coming months, in which we will focus on a single nutrient and its importance for our every day health.  Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant.  It is important to maintain the immune system and cellular health. It is found in many foods but do our diets provide enough for our needs?  Dr. Barrie Tan is a leading expert on vitamin E.  A biochemist, he is the President of American River Nutrition, a natural health research and development company, located in Hadley, Massachusetts, and a longtime researcher into the health benefits from a form of the vitamin called tocotrienol. We explore how it differs from the more commonly known form, tocopherol, and why it matters. This episode is brought to you in association with Clinique La Prairie with whom we share a common goal of helping people pursue a long healthspan.  The pioneering health and wellness destination, nestled on the shores of Lake Geneva in Montreux, Switzerland, combines preventative medicine with bespoke lifestyle and nutrition plans, and offers a holistic approach to living fuller, healthier, and longer lives.In this interview we cover:The discovery, in 1922, of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E - and four decades later, tocotrienol. What's the difference?Dr. Tan's journey from Malaysia to MassachusettsThe annatto plant - sometime called the  lipstick plant and its significance as a source of tocotrienol.  The importance of vitamin E for cellular health and especially cell walls.Can we get enough vitamin E from our diets?The relationship between vitamin E and stresses on the bodyShould vitamin E levels be a regular Identifying signs of a vitamin E deficiencyDifferentiating between vitamin E supplements and why they don't all come equalAvoiding snake oil by scrutinizing indepenedent researchLongevity aspirationsAre multi-vitamins worth taking? Support the showThe Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.