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Benefits of Vitamin E Suppositories
Vitamin E, also known as tocopherol, is a fat-soluble vitamin found in nuts, leafy green vegetables and vegetable oils. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that may help lower cholesterol levels and reduce heart disease and can be used as a vaginal or anal suppository to sooth dryness and itching, to relieve symptoms of menopause and as a way of getting vitamin E into your system when suffering from an upset stomach or nausea.
Vaginal Dryness
Atrophic vaginitis, the loss of vaginal lubrication, is common during and after menopause, as well as during breastfeeding due to hormone fluctuations. Vitamin E suppositories can be inserted vaginally to sooth and lubricate dry skin. Insert daily or before intercourse. Vitamin E is fat-soluble and oil-based and may interfere with a condom's effectiveness.
- Atrophic vaginitis, the loss of vaginal lubrication, is common during and after menopause, as well as during breastfeeding due to hormone fluctuations.
- Vitamin E suppositories can be inserted vaginally to sooth and lubricate dry skin.
Hemorrhoid Treatment
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Hemorrhoids are caused by an increase in pressure in the rectum from pregnancy, straining, obesity, chronic constipation or diarrhea or anal sex 2. Vitamin E suppositories can be used as an alternative to traditional hemorrhoid suppositories that contain hydrocortisone.
Menopause
Vitamin E may help relieve the symptoms of menopause, including stopping night sweats and heart palpitations and regulating hot flashes. It may be the antioxidants, which protect you from signs of physical and mental aging, that help with the symptoms of menopause, or it may be a placebo effect. There is little evidence about the positive effects of vitamin E and menopause.
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Suppositories are an effective method of delivery of medications and supplements because they are absorbed into the blood stream faster than drugs taken orally, due to the thin skin of the rectum or vagina and large amount of blood vessels near the surface of the skin. If you are taking vitamin E for nutritional benefits, you can use suppositories without causing stomach irritation or during times of nausea, flu or illness.
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References
- Health Central: Vitamin E
- Mayo Clinic: Hemorrhoids
- Holick MF, Gordon CM. Patient Guide to Vitamin D Deficiency. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2011;96(7):1-2. doi:10.1210/jcem.96.7.zeg33a
- Sunyecz JA. The use of calcium and vitamin D in the management of osteoporosis. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2008;4(4):827-836. doi:10.2147/tcrm.s3552
- Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Hollis BW, Rimm EB. 25-hydroxyvitamin D and risk of myocardial infarction in men: a prospective study. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(11):1174-1180. doi:10.1001/archinte.168.11.1174
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- Salehpour A1, Hosseinpanah F, Shidfar F, Vafa M, Razaghi M, Dehghani S, Hoshiarrad A, Gohari M. A 12-week Double-blind Randomized Clinical Trial of Vitamin D₃ Supplementation on Body Fat Mass in Healthy Overweight and Obese Women. Nutr J. 2012 Sep 22;11:78. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-11-78.
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Writer Bio
Maura Shenker is a certified holistic nutritionist and health counselor who started her writing career in 2010. She leads group workshops, counsels individual clients and blogs about diet and lifestyle choices. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design, a Master of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University and is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.