If you have high cholesterol, triglycerides, your lipids could be blocking your vitamin E absorption, which means that the anti-oxidant properties of vitamin E that protect your heart, could be compromised.

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by Oregon State University has found that high levels of blood lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides can keep this essential micronutrient tied up in the blood stream, and prevent vitamin E from reaching the tissues that need it.

Vitamin E is especially important in some places such as artery walls, the brain, liver, eyes and skin, but is essential in just about every tissue in the body. A powerful, fat-soluble antioxidant, it plays important roles in scavenging free radicals and neurologic function. In the diet, it’s most commonly obtained from cooking oils and some vegetables.

Raised lipids means higher inflammation levels inside the body, and vitamin E can control these. Almost every tissue in the body is under oxidative attack, and needs more vitamin E. But the vitamin E needed to protect these tissues is stuck on the freeway, in the circulatory system. Hence, only one third of the vitamin E reaches the tissues where it’s needed. However, the vitamin E in the blood stream that is left over, is not completely wasted. It helps protect LDL and HDL cholesterol from oxidation, which is good. But that doesn’t offset the concern that not enough of this micronutrient may be reaching tissues, and upping consumption via oil based sources is the best option as vitamin E is best absorbed when combined with oil or fat.