Which organ needs tocotrienol vitamin E the most?
The organs have different energy requirements per cell. As energy production generates free radicals, they also have different needs for antioxidants.
The following table shows the energy requirements of the cells of the individual organs.
| Organ | Weight (g) | Number of cells (billion) | Membrane area (m²) | Energy requirement per cell and day (µJ) | Number of mitochondria per cell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brain | 1400 | 86 | 20000 | 47 | 2000 |
| Heart | 300 | 2.5 | 500 | 15 | 5000 |
| Liver | 1500 | 240 | 4000 | 13 | 1000 |
| Kidney | 300 | 2 | 500 | 12 | 1000 |
| Lung | 1000 | 70 | 10000 | 8.5 | 200 |
| Pankreas | 100 | 1 | 200 | 7.5 | 500 |
| Small intestine | 600 | 50 | 3000 | 7.0 | 100 |
| Skin | 5000 | 1000 | 25000 | 5.0 | 100 |
| Spleen | 150 | 0.4 | 100 | 4.5 | 200 |
| Muscles (total) | 35000 | 600 | 15000 | 3.0 | 200 |
| White blood cells | 0.005 | 0.07 | 50 | 10 | 1000 |
| Eyes | 7.5 | 1.2 | 100 | 6 | 300 |
| Red blood cells | 2.0 | 25 | 3800 | 3 | 0 |
As you can see, brain cells need the most energy, followed by the heart, liver and kidneys. And so need the most protection from antioxidants. These are also the organs with the great successful studies with tocotrienols.
So most important for the brain, followed by the heart, liver and kidneys.
Another clue is the surface area of the cell membranes, as this is where the vitamin E is located. More surface area means more surface area to protect. There are other causes of free radicals. Namely radiation and oxidants such as ozone and smoke.
The front runners in terms of cell membranes to be protected this time are the skin, the lungs, the muscles and again the brain.
The skin and muscles are simply very large organs with very many cells. They need a lot of antioxidants. The skin is also directly exposed to UV radiation. Fortunately, tocotrienols can be applied externally to particularly stressed areas (face).
The lungs, on the other hand, are directly exposed to pollutants such as ozone, cigarette smoke and other air pollutants.
Finally, the eyes are a special case. They consume little energy, have a small membrane surface area and not very many cells. But these cells are particularly important to us because vision is our most important connection to the outside world. And they contain the sensitive visual purple and are constantly exposed to light.
This observation teaches us which organs particularly need antioxidant protection.
- the brain
- the heart
- the liver, kidneys and lungs
- the eyes
- the skin and muscles
This protection is called vitamin E and it has to come from food - after all, it is a vitamin.
What do antioxidants protect against? Against cancer (mutations), cell death and cell senescence (ageing).
I rely on the best vitamin E - tocotrienols.