Vitamin E

What is vitamin E?

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and antioxidant that your body needs to stay healthy. It helps protect your cells from free radicals. These are harmful molecules that can damage your cells by stealing tiny parts from them. Over time, this makes your cells weaker.

Free radicals also play a role in a variety of diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s, as well as aging skin. Antioxidants like vitamin E help stop them from causing harm.

What forms does vitamin E come in?

Vitamin E comes in eight forms, beginning with alpha-, beta-, gamma- or delta- and ending in either tocopherol or tocotrienol. If you take a supplement, you may see these other forms in the ingredients. But alpha-tocopherol is the only form that meets your body’s needs.

What are good sources of vitamin E?

A well-balanced eating plan full of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and fish provides all the vitamin E your body needs. Certain foods, like breakfast cereals and fruit juices, also have vitamin E added to them. They may be labeled as “fortified,” but it’s always a good idea to read the nutrition label on the foods you eat.

Vitamin E is also a common ingredient in skin care products, like moisturizers and vitamin E oil.

How much vitamin E do you need daily?

Throughout your life, your daily recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin E varies. And if you’re breastfeeding, your recommendations are slightly higher.

The typical RDAs are as follows:

What are the benefits of vitamin E?

Vitamin E wears a lot of hats to help keep you healthy from head to toe. Some studies suggest that certain forms of vitamin E may help:

• Support your immune system
• Reduce inflammation, which plays a role in many chronic diseases, including cancer
• Block the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow (a process called angiogenesis)
• Prevent blood clots
• Maintain your skin’s natural barrier, when used as a topical moisturizer
• Protect skin from damage from sun and aging, when consumed in vitamin-rich foods (but it’s not a substitute for sunscreen!)

Do I need to take vitamin E supplements?

Given the abundance of vitamin E in a typical eating plan, most people don’t need vitamin E supplements. These have 10 to 20 times the daily requirement.

But if you have a condition that affects your intestines — like celiac disease, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis — you may want to talk to your provider. They can go over the risks and benefits and help determine if a vitamin E supplement is right for you.

Vitamin E supplement side effects and overdose

It’s important to note that it’s nearly impossible to experience a vitamin E overdose or have vitamin toxicity if you’re only getting it from your food. But these conditions tend to be a concern when you also get the vitamin through supplements. This is because your body stores vitamin E in your tissues and liver and doesn’t eliminate extra amounts through your pee (urine).

Brain bleeds are also a life-threatening side effect of having too much vitamin E in your body. To avoid this, adults shouldn’t take more than 1,000 milligrams (mg) of vitamin E supplements. If your supplement lists vitamin E in international units (IU), don’t take more than:

• 1,500 IU per day of d-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E)
• 1,100 IU per day of dl-alpha-tocopherol (synthetic vitamin E)

What medications can interact with vitamin E supplements?

Avoid vitamin E supplements if you’re taking:

• Blood thinners. If you take a blood thinner (anticoagulant), too much vitamin E can increase your risk of bleeding.
• Cholesterol medicines. An antioxidant supplement that contains vitamin E may interfere with cholesterol-lowering medications, including statins and niacin.
• Cancer treatments. A vitamin E supplement may impact how well chemotherapy and radiation therapy work.