Vitamin E is an important anti-oxidant.
It acts as a free radical scavenger to prevent the byproducts of chemical-cell interaction to cause cell damage. Free radicals are likely responsible for all or most of the degenerative diseases e.g. arthritis, heart disease, cancer, senility etc. Neutralization or scavenging of free radicals protects cells from this type of injury. Other free radical scavengers include zinc, vitamin C, and selenium. Studies have reported vitamin E to protect against some of the toxicities of ionizing radiation.