Special foods for hot flashes - the ones loaded with vitamin e - also provide the foundation for healthy libido

Women who are experiencing the symptoms of perimenopause, or the time period leading up to full-blown menopause, have been shown to gain relief of many symptoms by embracing foods which are highest in Vitamin E. When libido starts to slip, it may be time to add some high-Vitamin-E content foods to the regular diet.

Vitamin E is also excellent support for a healthy heart. Vitamin E is rich in antioxidants, preventing buildup of cellular waste. It also acts as an estrogen source, which is why it can alleviate hot flashes in many women, relieve leg cramps and even vaginal dryness associated with waning estrogen. It is not produced in the human body. Plant sources of Vitamin E are far preferable to animal sources because of lower fat. A list of foods, starting with the richest in Vitamin E, is shown below. The most surprising sources of Vitamin E are also the richest and they include carrot leaves, the outer leaves of cabbage, and the outer leaves of broccoli. Vitamin E functions best in the presence of vitamin C. E also contributes to a healthy thyroid.

Note that Vitamin E does dissipate with freezing and overcooking.

In measurements of one tablespoon, and half-cups of vegetables, the following foods are rich in Vitamin E, with the richest foods listed first.

Wheat germ oil, corn oil, soybean oil.

Almonds, filberts, hazelnuts.

Canola oil, cottonseed oil.

Skim milk.

Sunflower oil, sunflower seeds.

Almond oil, macadamia nuts, palm oil, peanuts.

Soybeans, sweet potato.

Whole milk, tofu.

Below 5 IUs, the following still provide a source of Vitamin E:

Acorn squash, asparagus, avocado, butternut squash, dandelion greens, green peas, kale, lima beans, mustard greens, pumpkin. Spinach, swiss chard, turnip greens, apricots, blueberries, mango, black olives, peach, prunes, cashews, pecans.

Peanut butter, pine nuts, walnuts, chocolate. Bagel, brown rice, wild rice, garbanzo beans, navy beans.

Cottage cheese, oil and vinegar, bass, bluefish, cod, mackerel. Oysters, perch, salmon, and sole.

Fish are valuable food sources for many reasons. The highest Vitamin E content is found in mackerel, bluefish, tuna, salmon, butterfish and pompano. Remember, high heat will destroy about half the Vitamin E.

Among the fruits, apples are in the top twenty-five of all Vitamin E-bearing foods. Apricots and blackberries are also very high. Citrus fruits come next, and are joined by grapes, mangoes, papayas, and peaches. Dried peaches have the highest Vitamin E content.

Whole grains are also excellent choices, especially buckwheat and millet.