What You Need to Know About Vitamin E

What Is Vitamin E, and What Does It Do?

Vitamin E is a molecule consisting of eight fat-soluble compounds, including four tocopherols and four tocotrienols.

It is an important antioxidant and performs important antioxidant functions, particularly in cell membranes and lipoproteins. Although not as popular as vitamins C and D, vitamin E is an essential vitamin necessary for the body to function. It is fat-soluble and is stored in the liver before entering the bloodstream. Through its antioxidant properties, it helps protect us from molecules called free radicals that can damage our cells. It plays a role in regulating our immune system and in producing monocytes, white blood cells that fight viruses and harmful bacteria.

A Brief History of Vitamin E

Vitamin E was discovered in 1922, isolated in 1935, and first synthesized in 1938. Because its vitamin activity was first identified as a molecule necessary for fertilized rat eggs to result in live births, it was named from the Greek for bearing a child, or carrying —"tocopherol." Alpha-tocopherol is naturally extracted from vegetable oils or, most commonly as synthetic tocopheryl acetate, sold as a popular dietary supplement alone or included in a multivitamin product. It is also often included in oils or lotions for use on the skin.

Considering all these properties, you might think that taking vitamin E as a supplement could be beneficial. Early research also pointed in this direction, suggesting that it could help prevent everything from cancer to heart disease. However, a growing number of studies found that taking vitamin E, especially at high doses, is not beneficial and may even be harmful. Taking high doses of vitamin E may increase the risk of stroke, bleeding, and prostate cancer in some men.

These mixed research findings suggest that we should be more cautious with vitamin E supplements. In fact, we see that obtaining all vitamins only through the diet is safe. In this article, we have examined vitamin E for you, including information about the consequences of deficiency and excess and how much should be taken.  

How Much Vitamin E Is Needed?

According to American dietary recommendations, the daily vitamin E requirement is 15 milligrams. This applies to men and women over age 14. This need can be met with 60 grams of sunflower seeds. For pregnant and breastfeeding women, 19 mg/day of vitamin E is recommended. However, routine vitamin E supplementation is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Children's needs vary with age. For example, 4 mg/day is sufficient for infants aged 0-6 months. Vitamin E is a normal component of breast milk. Formula milks are also commonly fortified with vitamins. For children aged 9-13, 11 mg of vitamin E daily is recommended. Vitamin E is safe and beneficial when obtained from food. Let us examine its natural sources together.

Which Foods Contain Vitamin E?

• Sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, peanut butter, peanuts
• Sunflower oil, wheat germ oil, hazelnut oil, olive oil, safflower oil, corn oil, and soybean oil
• Fruits such as kiwi, mango, and tomatoes
• Vegetables such as spinach and broccoli

Which Diseases Occur With Vitamin E Deficiency?

Vitamin E exists in eight chemical forms. A blood test can tell your doctor how much alpha-tocopherol, a form of vitamin E, you have. The normal level is generally 5.5 mg/L. An adult with less than 4 mg/L of vitamin E in the blood generally requires supplementation. The cause of the problem also needs to be identified.

A balanced diet meets the daily requirement. However, a Western-style diet containing processed products often does not. This problem can easily be resolved by adding sources of vitamin E to the diet.

Vitamin E deficiency may also occur because of inherited or medical conditions. Congenital abetalipoproteinemia (a congenital disorder of fat-soluble vitamin absorption) is genetic and has a chronic course. It causes extremely low vitamin E levels. Treatment requires high-dose vitamin E supplementation.

Because vitamin E is fat-soluble and stored, people following a low-fat diet or experiencing problems digesting and absorbing fats may develop vitamin E deficiency. For example, people with cystic fibrosis, Chron disease, irregular bowel syndrome, pancreatitis, and celiac disease are at risk. In these people, the condition is generally managed with dietary changes and vitamin E supplements.

Babies born prematurely are also at risk. An immature digestive system may prevent the absorption of fat and vitamin E. Vitamin E deficiency in these babies may lead to hemolytic anemia, which destroys red blood cells. It can be treated with vitamin E supplementation through a tube into the stomach or intravenously (administration into a vein).

What Are the Effects of Taking High Doses of Vitamin E?

If you are generally healthy, taking vitamin E supplements is not recommended. For people taking supplements, the tolerable upper limit, including vitamin E from food, is 1000 mg (1500 IU). However, studies of vitamin E have produced conflicting results. For example, one study showed that vitamin E supplementation, particularly in men who smoke, might be protective against prostate cancer. In contrast, another study showed that taking 400 IU of vitamin E might increase prostate cancer risk. Similarly, another study showed that 400 IU of vitamin E daily might increase stroke risk. Because most of the data examined middle-aged and older patients, it is not entirely clear whether chronic disease or other supplements contributed to this increase.

Another study shows that vitamin E taken with vitamin C, zinc, and beta-carotene slowed the progression of age-related macular degeneration (also known as yellow spot disease). However, its potential role in preventing and managing certain diseases is still uncertain. Further investigation and research are needed.

It is advisable to be cautious with vitamin E supplements. You should always consult your doctor before starting a supplement. Vitamin E supplements may interact with medicines when taken at more than 300 mg daily. Because vitamin E also acts as a blood thinner, using its supplements with blood-thinning medicines such as warfarin (coumadin), clopidogrel (plavix), or arpirin may increase your risk of bleeding.

Taking more vitamin E than recommended may cause serious side effects such as headache, blurred vision, fatigue, weakness, and stomach cramps. If you experience such a side effect, you should stop taking the supplement and contact your doctor immediately.

Conclusion

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored. Excess amounts are therefore not excreted in urine as vitamin C is. Excess is stored in the body's fat tissue and liver. Vitamin E taken at high doses may consequently accumulate to toxic levels. To prevent vitamin E toxicity, make sure you do not take more than 1000 mg per day from supplements and food combined. Deficiency is rare and results from an underlying condition. This condition should be resolved and an appropriate treatment option applied.