Vitamin E

What is it?

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that is found in a wide variety of foods and supplements. It’s stored in a variety of tissues, and therefore signs of deficiency may take a very long time to surface. That being said, vitamin E deficiency may show up more frequently in individuals with certain genetic conditions, premature infants, and those with digestive disorders who have difficulty metabolizing fat (pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, and celiac disease).

What other names is it known by?

The other names by which Vitamin E goes by most commonly are tocopherol and tocotrienol. Tocopherols are the most abundant form in the body, and the only form used by the body. They consist of α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherol forms. Tocotrienols are found in the body to a lesser extent and are found in the same forms, except they are tocotrienols. Alpha tocopherol is the primary form of vitamin E found and maintained in the body.

What does it do?

The main function of vitamin E is to act as an antioxidant, protecting the body from loose electrons, or free radicals, that can damage healthy cells. In addition, in helps to support immune function, healthy skin and eyes, wound healing, and the prevent clots forming in the arteries.

In gut health vitamin E functions to increase the abundance of the good bacteria within, helps to decrease the prevalence of free radicals, may help to decrease inflammation, and increases the production of short chain fatty acids. In general, it’s an important vitamin for gut health.

Where is it found?

The primary sources of vitamin E are plant-based oils, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. The below is not a comprehensive list.

How much is needed?

Most people will never experience a vitamin E deficiency, however vitamin E deficiency may be possible in certain populations. Signs of a vitamin E deficiency include peripheral neuropathy (damage to nerves in hands and feet), retinopathy (vision impairment), decreased immunity, or ataxia (loss of control of body movement).

Vitamin E toxicity from the vitamin E found in foods has not been reported in the literature. Adults who are getting additional vitamin E from supplements may be getting more than the recommended dietary allowance, and could possibly be at risk for excess bleeding, especially if receiving doses more than 1000 mg daily. For those on a blood thinning medication, it’s a good idea to check with a doctor about how much vitamin E is safe. The safe upper limit for Vitamin E is 1000 mg or 1465 IU daily.

There were some recent headlines regarding meta-analyses that found people who took more than 400 IU of vitamin E per day had a higher risk of mortality. However, these studies were not without their issues. Bottom line, check with your doctor and dietitian regarding the dietary supplements you are taking to determine if any changes need to be made, and ensure they are safe.

In the US, the RDA is as follows:

*Adequate Intake

How to get it in the daily diet?

It’s important to get a diet that includes a healthy amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with nuts and healthy oils to ensure you are meeting your micronutrient requirements. Consider adding the below foods to your meals, or check with your dietitian for more ideas.

Breakfast: 1 medium kiwi fruit with breakfast = 1.1 mg

Lunch: peanut butter sandwich = 2.9 mg

Snack: 1 oz almonds = 6.8 mg

Dinner: dry roasted sunflower seeds sprinkled over salad = 7.4 mg

Daily Total = 18.2 mg

References

DSM Nutritional Products. (2020). Vitamins Basics. Retrieved from https://www.dsm.com/content/dam/dsm/human-nutrition/pdfs/vitamin-basics.pdf

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (n.d.). The Nutrition Source: Vitamin E. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-e/

Michels, A. J. (2012). Vitamin E and Skin Health. Oregon State University, Linus Pauling Institute. Retrieved from https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-E

Pham, V. T., Dold, S., Rehman, A., Bird, J. K., Steinert, R. E. (2021). Vitamins, the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal health in human. Nutrition Research, 95, 35-53. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271531721000580

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (2021). Vitamin E. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/