E 306 NATURAL EXTRACTS RICH IN TOCOPHEROLS OR TOCOPHEROL EXTRACT
With the general term "vitamin E", we mean not a single compound, but a set of compounds and specifically: alpha, gamma and delta tocopherols, three fat-soluble and antioxidant substances. Thanks to this last characteristic, tocopherols are able to prevent, thanks to their chemical similarity with fatty acids, the oxidation phenomena of polyunsaturated fatty acids (particularly contained in vegetable and fish oils), a key event in the development of the process. of lipid peroxidation.
Foods are particularly rich in vitamin E:
- seeds (and consequently the oils derived from them, including hemp oil),
- cereals,
- fruit and vegetables.
- hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds.
Its use, however, is reduced due to the strong flavor it gives to the foods in which it is contained.
Tocopherols are mainly used in animal and vegetable oils and fats to prevent rancidity, in some baby foods, cheeses, soups, sausages, etc.
At high concentrations, vitamin E can cause various side effects, but these effects are not associated with the use of tocopherols as food additives, but as vitamin supplements.
ADI DOSE: 2 mg per kg of body weight.
Digression on the rancidity of fats
One of the most important problems in the industrial field is the rancidity of foods rich in fats or oils, particularly if they are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (fatty acids that have more than one double bond). The rancidity of fats, in addition to conferring an unpleasant smell and taste, a reduction in the nutritional quality of the food and its safety.
Antioxidants, oxidizing instead of food, are essential to avoid processes such as the one described above, effectively fighting free radicals.
The destructive action of free radicals is directed on the cells, but specifically it is directed against the fats that form their membranes, against sugars and phosphates, against DNA (where they can alter genetic information), against enzymes and so on.
The continuous action of free radicals is highlighted, above all, in the premature aging of the skin and in the possibility of the onset of various serious diseases such as cancer, diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, pulmonary emphysema, cataracts, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, dermatitis etc.
E307-ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL (SYNTHETIC)
E308 GAMMA-TOCOPHEROL (SYNTHETIC)
E309 DELTA- TOCOPHEROL (SYNTHETIC)
E321
