Vitamin E

Vitamin E
Drug class
Tocopherol, a form of vitamin E. This is the RRR alpha-tocopherol form of tocopherol
Class identifiers
Use	Vitamin E deficiency, antioxidant
ATC code	A11HA03
Biological target	Reactive oxygen species
Clinical data
Drugs.com	MedFacts Natural Products
External links
MeSH	D014810
Legal status
In Wikidata

Vitamin E (which is also called Tocopherol or Tocotrienol, E307, E308,E309) is a vitamin. They are fat-soluble and an antioxidant. There are eight forms of vitamin E, E₁ to E₈. It can be found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, and fruits and vegetables. Very often it is also added to lotions and creams meant to be used for the skin.

It is used in the body to keep the skin and eyes healthy and the immune system working. A healthy immune system can fight off infection better. It can be found in the body and is stored in fat (lipid) cells. The synthetic form of vitamin E is less bioactive than the natural form, and the body uses it about half as much (efficiently).

Sources from foods

The body usually gets the vitamin E that it needs from diet, or by using up what it has stored. Because the body can store vitamin E, it is not needed every day in diet. Dietary sources of vitamin E include:

• Plant oils (or vegetable oils), like rapeseed, olive, sunflower, soya oil
• Nuts (like almonds or peanuts)
• Seeds
• Cereal and cereal products, through wheatgerm, which is often fortified with other minerals and vitamins like iron
• Meat, poultry (chicken) and eggs
• Fruits and vegetables

Dose

The dose of vitamin E in IU is different for its synthetic (man-made) and non-synthetic (natural) forms. Synthetic vitamin E is only half as bioactive (active in the body) than natural vitamin E. 1mg of vitamin E (natural form) is 1.49 IU 1mg of vitamin E (synthetic) is 1.1IU (international units). The amount of vitamin E that is needed daily is different in men and women and by age. While men need 4mg a day, women need 3mg. A healthy, varied (balanced) diet should provide enough vitamin E from diet alone. The FDA, which suggested all supplements be dosed in milligrams only in regulations, in 2021, recommends a daily allowance (RDA) of 15mg. The U.S. has found that doses up to 1,000mg appear to be safe while the NHS recommends taking more than 100mcg is harmful.

The body can store vitamin E to use later if there is too much of it, so usually people do not need to eat it every day. The amount of vitamin E the body needs changes based on age and gender. The United States recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 15 mg of alpha-tocophero aged 14 and over.

Overdose

Vitamin E excess in the body is usually caused by supplements. High doses of vitamin E may cause:

• Bleeding (from the gums or nose, called nosebleeds)
• Bruising easier
• Bleeding in the brain (causing a brain hemorrhage)
• Problems with the heart
• Swelling (bloating), fast weight gain, and feeling short of breath
• Heart attack
  • Nausea (which might be a sign of a heart attack)

More commonly, vitamin E overdose might cause nausea, feeling tired, or headache.

Use

Examples of vitamin E used in medicine or a clinical setting include the treatment of atherosclerosis, cataracts and other age-related vision loss, parkinson's disease. It is also used in pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, scarring from surgery. However, the research or use has not shown benefit from use of vitamin E. Some research suggests that vitamin E has anti-aging benefits. Vitamin E is supposed to help the healing of the skin after burns and injuries, and lower the risk of heart disease and cancer. There has not been enough evidence of adverse reactions caused by vitamin E overdose. Vitamin K deficiency is a factor in taking supplements containing vitamins, in diabetes, people that have had a stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, bleeding problems or eye disorders.

A healthy, balanced diet usually provides enough vitamin E, and it can be stored in the body for future use, so it is not needed every day. In the UK, 540mg (800 IU) per day (usually by supplements in these amounts) is not likely to cause harm. In the U.S. they have found that doses up to 1,000mg (1,500 IU/day of the natural form or 1,100 IU/day of the synthetic form) appear to be safe. In addition to interacting with vitamin K in the body, vitamin E (when taken as a dietary supplement) may cause problems when it is taken with omega-3 supplements It can interact with medications which thin the blood (for example clopidogrel, warfarin, aspirin, and others), or anticoagulants. It interacts with the drug selumetinib. Vitamin E supplements should be avoided in people with bleeding disorders.

Related pages

• Vitamin D and vitamin K
• Heart disease
• Asthma