Vitamin E, also called tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol, is a fat soluble nutrient that dissolves in fat. Vitamin E is key for strong immunity and healthy skin and eyes. Vitamin E is found in many foods including vegetable oils, cereals, meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and wheat germ oil. It is also available as a supplement.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protect the body from the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are harmful compounds in the body that damage DNA (genetic material) and even cause cell death. Free radicals are believed to contribute to aging as well as the development of a number of health problems, including heart disease and cancer. Vitamin E works to neutralize free radicals, which are naturally occurring unstable molecules that can damage the body's healthy molecules by taking electrons to balance themselves. When enough vitamin E is present in the body, unstable free radicals get their electrons from the vitamin E molecules and leave the healthy molecules alone, thus causing less damage to tissues.
Vitamin E also helps ease respiratory problems, and may also prevent some of the damage that diabetes does to the body, particularly to the eyes. It also boosts the immune system's ability to fight off infectious diseases by increasing levels of interferon and interleukin, the biochemicals that are produced by the immune system to fight infection. Vitamin E is also important in the formation of red blood cells and it helps the body to use vitamin K.
Vitamin E is being tested as a treatment for many chronic diseases for the elderly, including Alzheimer's, macular degeneration, osteoarthritis, and prostate enlargement. And it is thought that this powerful antioxidant may help keep some types of cancer from developing.
Vitamin E is also an effective anti-inflammatory, and may help to prevent sun damage. Vitamin E oil (available at drugstores) containing at least 5 percent vitamin E can help prevent inflammation and skin damage if applied within eight hours after sun exposure. Do not apply the cream before going into the sun, as vitamin E reacts to UV rays in a way that will speed up rather than slow down the oxidation process.
The best natural source of vitamin E is vegetable oil, but it is also found in nuts, wheat germ, whole-wheat flour, spinach, lettuce, onions, blackberries, apples, and pears.
However, because it can be difficult to get the amount of vitamin E needed from food, you may wish to take a vitamin E supplement. There are eight different forms of the vitamin E, but look for the bottle labeled d-alpha-tocopherol, as it is this form that makes the most vitamin E available to your body.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble substance, and excess amounts of this nutrient are stored in the body. However, unlike vitamin A and vitamin D, extra vitamin E stored in the body has not proven to be toxic. Infants with low birth weight, people with cystic fibrosis, and anorexics, or anyone with a condition that interferes with the proper absorption of fat, may need more than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of this vitamin.
The RDA for adult males is 30 IU, and 24 IU for adult females. Women need an additional 6 IU each day during pregnancy, and an extra 9 IU per day if breastfeeding. People over the age of 55, smokers, and those who abuse alcohol may need to take vitamin E supplements.
However, most healthy individuals could benefit from taking this vitamin supplement. Some studies show that as much as 200 to 800 IU is needed to prevent disease and obtaining vitamin E in such amounts through dietary sources alone would be difficult.
There are some serious risks associated with taking too much vitamin E. More than 2,400 IU per day may cause bleeding problems due to its clot-preventing ability. People who are already taking anticoagulants (blood thinner) for a heart condition should not take vitamin E supplements.
Vitamin E can also interfere with the body's absorption of vitamin K, which is involved in blood coagulation. Too much vitamin E may also reduce your body's supply of vitamin A and alter the immune system.
A deficiency of vitamin E can affect the nervous system and the eyes. It also can cause a form of anemia ("hemolytic" anemia). Vitamin E deficiency is very rare, but it can develop in people who can't absorb fat normally. This is because vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and needs dietary fat to be absorbed. People who don't get enough vitamin E may have higher risks for heart disease and cancer.
Symptoms of serious vitamin E deficiency may include:
Muscle weakness
Loss of muscle mass
Abnormal eye movements
Impaired vision
Unsteady gait
Digestive system problems, especially malabsorption
Tingling or loss of sensation in the arms, hands, legs, or feet
Liver or gallbladder problems
Chronic deficiency may also cause liver and kidney problems. Although most people in the United States aren't seriously deficient in vitamin E, it's not uncommon for people to be slightly deficient.
Individuals who cannot absorb fat may require a vitamin E supplement because some dietary fat is needed for the absorption of vitamin E from the gastrointestinal tract. Anyone diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, individuals who have had part or all of their stomach removed, and individuals with malabsorptive problems such as Crohn's disease, liver disease or pancreatic insufficiency may not absorb fat and should discuss the need for supplemental vitamin E with their physician. People who cannot absorb fat often pass greasy stools or have chronic diarrhea and bloating.
Vitamin E is used for treating vitamin E deficiency, which is rare, but can occur in people with certain genetic disorders and in very low-weight premature infants.
Some people use vitamin E for treating and preventing diseases of the heart and blood vessels including hardening of the arteries, heart attack, chest pain, leg pain due to blocked arteries, and high blood pressure.
Vitamin E is also used for treating diabetes and its complications. It is used for preventing cancer, particularly lung and oral cancer in smokers; colorectal cancer and polyps; and gastric, prostate, and pancreatic cancer.
Some people use vitamin E for diseases of the brain and nervous system including Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, Parkinson's disease, night cramps, restless leg syndrome, and for epilepsy, along with other medications. Vitamin E is also used for Huntington's chorea, and other disorders involving nerves and muscles.
Women use vitamin E for preventing complications in late pregnancy due to high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia), premenstrual syndrome (PMS), painful periods, menopausal syndrome, hot flashes associated with breast cancer, and breast cysts.
Sometimes vitamin E is used to lessen the harmful effects of medical treatments such as dialysis and radiation. It is also used to reduce unwanted side effects of drugs such as hair loss in people taking doxorubicin and lung damage in people taking amiodarone.
Vitamin E is sometimes used for improving physical endurance, increasing energy, reducing muscle damage after exercise, and improving muscle strength.
Vitamin E is also used for cataracts, asthma, respiratory infections, skin disorders, aging skin, sunburns, cystic fibrosis, infertility, impotence, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), peptic ulcers, for certain inherited diseases and to prevent allergies.
Some people apply vitamin E to their skin to keep it from aging and to protect against the skin effects of chemicals used for cancer therapy (chemotherapy).
Vitamin E is often claimed to provide a wide variety of health benefits (when taken by mouth) and cosmetic benefits (when taken by mouth or applied to the skin). Almost all of the claimed vitamin E benefits can be attributed to its antioxidant activity. Sometimes, this vitamin is claimed to be beneficial for the following uses:
Heart health, including:
Slowing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
Preventing heart attacks
Treating chest pain (angina)
Treating congestive heart failure (CHF)
Treating high blood pressure (hypertension)
Diabetes
Prevention of various types of cancer, such as:
Lung cancer and mouth cancer in smokers
Colorectal cancer
Stomach cancer (gastric cancer)
Pancreatic cancer
Bladder cancer
Breast cancer
Prostate cancer
Alzheimer's disease (both prevention and treatment)
Parkinson's disease (both prevention and treatment)
Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Epilepsy (when used along with epilepsy medications)
Cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (both prevention and treatment)
Preeclampsia prevention in pregnant women
Infertility (usually male infertility)
Aging (slowing down or reversing the normal aging process)
Skin health, including:
Scar treatment or prevention
Stretch mark treatment or prevention
Wrinkle reduction.
Although humans must breathe oxygen to stay alive, oxygen is a risky substance inside the body because it can make molecules overly reactive. When oxygen-containing molecules become too reactive, they can start damaging the cell structures around them. In chemistry, this imbalanced situation involving oxygen is called oxidative stress.
Vitamin E helps prevent oxidative stress by working together with a group of nutrients that prevent oxygen molecules from becoming too reactive. This group of nutrients includes vitamin C, glutathione, selenium, and vitamin B3. Some researchers believe that vitamin E is the most important member of this oxidative stress-preventing group.
Vitamin E has sometimes been described as the "lightening rod" of the cell, allowing reactive molecules to strike the cell, like lightening, without causing damage. This "lightening rod" function of vitamin E is particularly apparent in the case of the skin, since vitamin E directly protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation (also called UV light). In numerous research studies, vitamin E applied topically to the skin has been shown to prevent UV damage. When the diet contains vitamin E-rich foods, vitamin E can travel to the skin cell membranes and exert this same protective effect.
One of the benefits of making foods rich in vitamin E -- nuts, seeds, spinach, mustard greens, peppers and olive oil -- a part of your healthy way of eating is an up to 50% reduction in risk of developing bladder cancer, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, Orlando, FL, May 23, 2004.
Bladder cancer, which kills 12,500 Americans annually, is the fourth leading cancer killer among men, and is four times more common in men than women. The study, which included 468 bladder cancer patients and 534 cancer-free controls drawn from residents of Houston, TX, collected data using eating habits questionnaires. Those whose vitamin E intake was in the top 25% had half as much bladder cancer as those in the lowest 25%.
Increasing vitamin E intake to the amount consumed by those in the top group would not be difficult since the actually difference in the amount of vitamin E-rich foods the two extremes consumed was small -- the equivalent of a single daily serving of spinach or a handful of almonds.
The research team looked at the two most common forms of vitamin E, alpha- and gamma-tocopherol, and found that only alpha-tocopherol was associated with lower bladder cancer risk. Also, whether study participants got their vitamin E from food alone or from vitamin pills, the reduction in risk was roughly the same. Those with the highest intake of alpha-tocopherol from food had a 42% reduced risk of bladder cancer, and those with a vitamin E rich diet who also took vitamin E supplements had a 44% reduced risk.
While the type of vitamin E usually used in supplements is alpha-tocopherol, research published in the December 2004 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates another form of vitamin E, gamma-tocopherol, but not alpha-tocopherol, inhibits prostate cancer cell proliferation, without affecting healthy prostate cells.
Plus, the anti-cancer effect of gamma-tocopherol, when combined with other forms of vitamin E such as delta-tocopherol, appears to be additive.
As noted above, Vitamin E is a generic term for a family of at least eight structurally related molecules. When the first research was conducted on vitamin E by the Shute brothers early in the 19th century, in rats, one fraction of vitamin E, alpha tocopherol, appeared more potent since it was necessary for successful pregnancy and production of offspring. For this reason, the Shutes named the vitamin "tocopherol," from the Greek word meaning "to give birth."
More recent research has revealed that, in humans, other vitamin E fractions may be even more beneficial. Gamma-tocopherol has been found to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects, which has led researchers to think this fraction may be more cardioprotective than the alpha-tocopherol found in most supplements. Not only is gamma-tocopherol anti-inflammatory, but it is also highly attracted to the nucleus in cells -- the site where mutations in the genetic code can promote the development of cancer.
When Dr. Jiang and his team investigated the anti-carcinogenic potential of various forms of vitamin E, they found that gamma-tocopherol, particularly in combination with other forms of vitamin E such as delta-tocopherol, induced apoptosis (cell death) in androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells within 3 days of treatment. Alpha-tocopherol alone did not have this effect.
The gamma and delta E fractions appear to induce apoptosis by interrupting the synthesis of sphingolipid, a fatty molecule in cell membranes that acts as a signaling messenger to modulate events inside the cell. In the cell membranes of human prostate cancer cells, the interruption of sphingolipid's synthesis by gamma and delta tocopherols causes the cancerous cells to self-destruct, while leaving healthy cells unaffected. Both fractions, as well as alpha tocopherol, are naturally present in foods rich in vitamin E, which include a number of greens (mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach, collard greens, and kale), sunflower seeds and almonds.
A high intake of vitamin E from food, but not from supplements (which usually contain just alpha-tocopherol) is also inversely associated with Alzheimer's disease. Rush University -- Martha Clare Morris, Sc.D., lead nutrition researcher for CHAP, the Chicago Health and Aging Project, found a 67% lower risk of Alzheimer's in subjects with the highest intakes of vitamin E from food and concluded: "various tocopherol forms rather than alpha-tocopherol alone may be important in the vitamin E protective association with Alzheimer's disease."
While most of the research on vitamin E has focused on its role in prevention of oxidative stress, a variety of new roles have recently been suggested. Most of these new roles involve the transfer of chemical information from one cell to another, or across different structures inside of a cell. This transfer of chemical information is referred to as "cell signaling," and many researchers believe that cell signaling cannot accurately take place without the help of vitamin E.
The richest source of vitamin E is wheat germ. Other foods that contain a significant amount of vitamin E include:
Liver
Eggs
Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts)
Sunflower seeds
Corn-oil margarine
Mayonnaise
Cold-pressed vegetable oils, including olive, corn, safflower, soybean, cottonseed, and canola
Dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale
Greens (beet, collard, mustard, turnip) sweet potatoes
Avocado
Asparagus
Yams
There are natural and synthetic forms of vitamin E. Health care providers usually recommend natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) or natural mixed tocopherols. The synthetic form is called dl-alpha-tocopherol.
Some clinicians prefer mixed tocopherols because it most closely represents whole foods.
Dosages are usually listed in international units (IU).
Most vitamin E supplements are fat-soluble. However, water-soluble E is available for people who have trouble absorbing fat, such as people with pancreatic insufficiency and cystic fibrosis.
Vitamin E is available in softgels, tablets, capsules, and topical oils.
Doses for oral vitamin E generally range from 50 - 1,000 IU. Experts recommend getting vitamin E from food rather than supplements. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has set an upper tolerable intake level (UL) for vitamin E at 1,000 mg (1,500 IU) per day for supplemental vitamin E.
Based on clinical trials, the dose often used for disease prevention and treatment for adults is 400 - 800 IU per day. As with all supplements, you should check with a health care provider before giving vitamin E to a child.
Daily intakes of dietary vitamin E are listed below. (Note: 1 mg vitamin E equals 1.5 IU.)
Pediatric
Newborn to 6 months: 6 IU
Infants 6 months - 1 year: 9 IU
Children 1 - 3 years: 9 IU
Children 4 - 8 years: 10.5 IU
Children 9 - 13 years: 16.5 IU
Adolescents 14 - 18 years: 22.5 IU
Adult
Older than 18 years: 22.5 IU
Pregnant females: 22.5 IU
Breast-feeding females: 28.5 IU
Vitamin E usually does not cause significant side effects for most people, especially when taken at normal dosages. However, vitamin E can sometimes cause serious side effects, especially when taken at higher dosages. There is some concern that high-dose vitamin E supplementation may actually do more harm than good.
High doses of vitamin E have been reported to cause (or may theoretically cause) the following vitamin E side effects:
High doses can also cause nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps, fatigue, weakness, headache, blurred vision, rash, and bruising and bleeding.
Nausea
Diarrhea
Intestinal cramping
Fatigue and weakness
Headaches
Blurred vision
Rashes
Any unusual bruising or bleeding (vitamin E can increase the risk of bleeding)
Signs of gastrointestinal bleeding, such as:
Black, tarry stools
Bright-red blood in the stool
Vomiting of blood
Signs of a hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain), such as:
Vision or speech changes
Weakness or numbness in an arm or leg
Severe headache.
Some people may experience irritation or allergic reactions when vitamin E is applied to the skin.
If you think you are experiencing a side effect of vitamin E, please let your healthcare provider know. Also, let him or her know if you develop something that "just does not seem right." While it may not be a side effect, your healthcare provider will be able to diagnose and treat the problem.
Vitamin E is safe for most healthy people when taken by mouth or applied to the skin. Most people do not experience any side effects when taking the recommended daily dose, which is 15 mg.
Vitamin E is safe for children when taken in amounts that do not exceed the recommended amounts. It is not known if higher doses of vitamin E are beneficial or safe for children.
When used in the recommended daily amount, vitamin e is safe for pregnant and breast-feeding women. There has been some concern that taking vitamin E supplements might be harmful to the fetus when taken in early pregnancy. But it is too soon to know if this is an important concern. Until more is known, do no take vitamin E supplements during early pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.
Vitamin e is possibly unsafe if taken in high doses. If you have a condition such as heart disease or diabetes, don't take doses of 400 IU/day or more. Some research suggests that high doses might increase the chance of death and possibly cause other serious side effects. The higher the dose, the greater the risk of serious side effects.
There is some concern that vitamin E might increase the chance of having a serious stroke called hemorrhagic stroke, which is bleeding into the brain. Some research shows that taking vitamin E in doses of 300-800 IU each day might increase the chance of this kind of stroke by 22%. However, in contrast, vitamin E might decrease the chance of having a less severe stroke called an ischemic stroke.
There is contradictory information about the effect of vitamin E on the chance of developing prostate cancer. Some research suggests that taking large amounts of a multivitamin plus a separate vitamin E supplement might actually increase the chance of developing prostate cancer in some men.
Angioplasty, a
heart procedure: Avoid taking supplements containing vitamin E
or other antioxidant vitamins (beta-carotene, vitamin C) immediately
before and following angioplasty without the supervision of a health
care professional. These vitamins seem to interfere with proper
healing.
Low levels of
vitamin K (vitamin K deficiency): Vitamin E might worsen
clotting problems in people whose levels of vitamin K are too low.
An eye condition
called retinitis pigmentosa: All-rac-alpha-tocopherol (synthetic
vitamin E) 400 IU seems to speed vision loss in people with
retinitis pigmentosa. However, much lower amounts (3 IU) don’t
seem to produce this effect. If you have this condition, it’s
best to avoid vitamin E.
Bleeding
disorders: Vitamin E might make bleeding disorders worse. If you
have a bleeding disorder, avoid taking vitamin E supplements.
Head and neck
cancer: Don't take vitamin E supplements in doses of 400 IU/day
or more. Vitamin E might increase the chance that cancer will
return.
Surgery: Vitamin E might increase the risk of bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using vitamin E at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
The following doses have
been studied in scientific research (Note: 1 mg vitamin E equals 1.5
IU.):
BY MOUTH:
For vitamin E deficiency: a typical dose in adults is RRR-alpha tocopherol (natural vitamin E) 60-75 IU per day.
For the movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia: RRR-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E) 1600 IU daily.
For improving male fertility: vitamin E 200-600 IU daily.
For Alzheimer's disease: up to 2000 IU daily. Combination therapy of donepezil (Aricept) 5 mg and vitamin E 1000 IU per day has been used for slowing memory decline in people with Alzheimer's disease.
For liver disease called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: 800 IU daily in adults has been used; 400-1200 IU daily has been used in children.
For early Huntington's chorea: RRR-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E) 3000 IU.
For rheumatoid arthritis pain: vitamin E 600 IU twice daily.
For preventing nerve damage caused by cisplatin: vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 300 mg daily with each chemotherapy treatment and for up to 3 months after stopping cisplatin therapy.
For improving effectiveness of nitrates used for heart disease: vitamin E 200 mg three times daily.
To reduce protein in the urine of children with a kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: vitamin E 200 IU.
For G6PD deficiency: vitamin E 800 IU daily.
For premenstrual syndrome (PMS): RRR-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E) 400 IU daily.
For painful menstrual periods: vitamin E 200 IU twice or 500 IU daily starting 2 days before the menstrual period and continuing through the first 3 days of bleeding.
For healing the eyes after a surgery called keratectomy: 230 mg vitamin E (alpha-tocopheryl nicotinate) and vitamin A (retinol palmitate) 25,000 units have been used 3 times daily for 30 days, followed by twice daily for 2 months.
For fibrosis caused by radiation: vitamin E 1000 IU daily in combination with pentoxifylline 800 mg.
For beta-thalassemia: vitamin E 750 IU daily.
For preventing sunburn: RRR-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E) 1000 IU in combination with 2 grams of ascorbic acid.
For preventing high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia) in high risk women: vitamin E 400 IU with vitamin C 1000 mg daily.
For the most benefit, it's
best to take vitamin E that has been made in a lab
(all-rac-alpha-tocopherol) with food.
Dosing for vitamin E can
be confusing. Current guidelines show recommended dietary allowance
(RDA) and upper tolerable limits (UTL) for vitamin E in milligrams.
However, most products are still labeled in International Units
(Ius).
The following reviews have been selected:
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars STILL an EXCELLENT product!, December 30, 2008
From Georgia
Probably the best VitaminE-ONLY supplement on the market. Best balance (ie high tocotrienol to tocopherol ratio). Too much alpha tocopherol is bad for health (raises blood pressure, etc) while tocotrienols are the newly discovered and highly neglected forms of E that show promise against cancer, etc. Bottomline: tocotrienols are better to supplement with than tocopherols and [this] still manages to get this formula better than other supplement companies.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Product November, 10, 2009
From Maine
I found this brand and type of Vitamin E to be superior to others I have used. Prior to using this brand, I regularly shed many hairs when shampooing. While I didn't purchase this product for that reason, it was a welcome benefit. After taking it for about 2 weeks, I would only find two or three hairs in the tub after washing my hair. When I ran out and hadn't taken it for a couple of weeks, I began to lose more hair again when shampooing. Now that I'm taking it again, the hair loss has greatly lessened. I wouldn't be without [this] again.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best, July 18, 2008
From Sweden
I have taken E-vitamin for cardiovascular health for many years. This mixed tocopherols formula is the best I have tried. I am a diabetic and need E-vitamin for blood circulation in my legs.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best price for mixed tocopherols, November 04, 2007
By Windsong Lavalley From Vermont
This is the best price I have found for mixed tocopherols yet. I use everyday to help with cardiac, bladder, and skin health. A very good product for an excellent price.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Healthy Origins E-400, October 16, 2009
Most E supplements make me break out, which is ironic because part of the reason I take E is for skin support, duh. I have no break-outs with this, and I'm so glad I found it. Soy I guess is the culprit. I heard all E supplements have soy in them, but these capsules give me no problems. I can't believe the price.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 Great for circulation, October 28, 2009
From California
This really helps with blood circulation and getting rid of weakness and numbness in my arm and hand. I take one softgel with meal two to three times a day. I chew the softgel and could taste the freshness and quality of this vitamin e compared to other brands which tasted nasty.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 Reduces menstrual cramps, October 15, 2007
From Minnesota
My daughter with chronic fatigue has found significant relief from menstrual cramps using 1-2 of these daily, over the previous month. High quality, small gel cap is helpful with swallowing and sensitivities
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