Vitamin E is a cluster of multiple forms which are fat soluble. Vitamin E function as a strong antioxidant for the protection of cells from free radical damage.
Also, it contributes to better immune functioning. Moreover, prevents blood clothing for smooth functioning of heart arteries.
Furthermore, maintaining normal Vitamin E intake with the help of a daily diet is mandatory. You will find foods conveniently that is full of Vitamin E source.
Benefits Of Vitamin E
Below are some of the relevant benefits of Vitamin E:
-
Reduces Risk Of Heart Disease
Heart disease risk is increased with an imbalance ratio of blood pressure, (LDL)cholesterol level, and Triglycerides.
Although it is not guaranteed, vitamin E is indirectly helpful for having better heart health.
The study[1] has shown that moderate consumption of foods rich in vitamin E could reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and may also keep your blood pressure rates regular.
Also, it lessens the level of LDR, which is the root cause for causing heart disease.
-
Helps In Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease or NAFLD is a cluster of fats produced in the liver in non-alcoholic people.
Vitamin E supplements may help to boost the condition of NAFLD diseases.
A study[2] revealed that people consuming vitamin E have fewer levels of the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), reduced blood lipid levels, and better liver health in people with NAFLD disease.
-
Improves Skin Health
The eczema skin condition can be improved[3] with the help of Vitamin E supplements. Other skin problems can also be cured to some extent with the usage of Vitamin E.
However, there is no potential research on this particular benefit, and more studies are required.
-
Improves Cognitive Health
The cognitive condition is less with the body’s regular vitamin E dose requirement rates. Most Alzheimer’s diseases are benefitted[4] from a healthy Vitamin E rate.
-
Beneficial For Older Adults
Although everybody can benefit from the potential of Vitamin E, older people get more benefits from vitamin E supplementation.
A study[5] shows that it helps them in improving their quality of life, lowers inflammation, and strengthens their immune function.
-
Improves Lung Function
Daily intake of vitamin E supplements can contribute to better health[6] of the lungs and could also play a significant role in improving asthma conditions.
-
Itching In Private Parts Of Females
Vitamin E could help in improving the itchy vaginal conditions in females. It is also used as one of the home remedies for itching in the private parts of females.
This is because Vitamin E is fat-soluble and can penetrate faster. It acts as an antifungal and tries to provide rapid recovery.
Vitamin E Foods
One can find Vitamin E in so many foods variety naturally. Some of the food sources[7] rich in Vitamin E are nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, leafy green vegetables, and fortified cereals.
The following list mentions the dosage of vitamin E from each food source –
- Wheat germ oil: 21.8 mg per tablespoon (or 135% of your daily value)
- Sunflower seeds: 7.4 mg per one-ounce serving (or 49% of your daily value)
- Almonds: 7.4 mg per one-ounce serving (or 49% of your daily value)
- Avocados: 4.2 mg per avocado (or 28% of your daily value)
- Trout: 4 mg per average trout (or 26% of your daily value)
- Spinach: 3.7 mg per one-cup serving (or 25% of your daily value)
- Butternut squash: 2.6 mg per one-cup serving (or 18% of your daily value)
- Kiwi fruit: 2.6 mg per one-cup serving (or 18% of your daily value)
- Broccoli: 2.3 mg per one-cup serving (or 15% of your daily value)
- Olive oil: 1.9 mg per tablespoon (or 13% of your daily value)
- Shrimp: 1.9 mg per 3-ounce serving (or 13% of your daily value)
Vitamin E Supplements
Both natural and synthetic forms of Vitamin E supplements are available on the market.
The natural form[8] of vitamin E is alpha-tocopherol and the synthetic form is DI-alpha-tocopherol.
Note that not everybody needs supplements, people with deficiency of Vitamin E are advised to use Vitamin E supplements.
One can get Vitamin E supplements in different aspects such as –
- Softgels
- Liquids
- Capsules
- Chewable tablets
Some of the factors to consider while buying a Vitamin E supplement are ingredients, forms, FDA testing, USP verification, and dosage labels.
How Much Vitamin E Is Required?
Every human meets the daily intake of vitamin E dosage with a regular meal. Yet they are a few rare cases that do not meet the Vitamin E requirements.
Hence they suffer from Vitamin E deficiency. Moreover, what is the adequate amount of Vitamin E that should be taken in a day?
Let’s evaluate this below in detail:
Based to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) the daily intake[9] of vitamin E as per age is:
- 0 to 6 months – 4mg
- 7 to 12 months – 5mg
- 1 to 3 years – 6mg
- 4 to 8 years – 7mg
- 9 to 13 years – 11mg
- 14+ years – 15mg
- For pregnant and lactating individuals – 15mg/19mg
In any case, it is recommended that to meet your vitamin E requirement you must always refer to a professional or your healthcare expert.
As they have a better understanding of your body needs and this will also reduce the chances of any mishappenings.
Side Effects Of Vitamin E
There are no side effects of vitamin E if taken in moderation and under precaution. When it comes to food containing vitamin E, there is hardly any side effect caused by them.
Still, some of the possible side effects to note for Vitamin E are mentioned below:
- Whenever you exceed the limits of vitamin E RDA, like 350 IUs in a day can cause your hemorrhagic stroke risk. Also, vitamin E supplements with higher dosages are not at all recommended as the higher the risk[9] of hemorrhagic stroke by 22%.
- The other possible side effect of high doses of Vitamin E can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea.
- People who are on medications of blood thinners such as Coumadin (warfarin) or Plavix (clopidogrel) must avoid[10] taking vitamin E or should reach out to consultants. Vitamin E lessens blood clotting and people with low vitamin K must also seek advice.
- Vitamin E can also collapse[11] with some more medications for example immune-suppressive drug Sandimmune (cyclosporine), certain chemotherapy drugs, statin drugs like Lipitor (atorvastatin), and tamoxifen.
- Oral dosage of Vitamin E can trigger several side effects when exceeding the limitations. The side effects can be –
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Intestinal cramps
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Headache
- Blurred vision
- Rash
- Gonadal dysfunction
- Creatinuria or a higher concentration of creatine in the urine
- Lastly, people suffering from the below conditions must reach out to consultants for the usage of Vitamin E regularly –
- Vitamin K deficiency
- Retinitis pigmentosa[12] (damaged retina)
- Bleeding disorders
- Diabetes
- Heart attack or stroke history
- Head and neck cancer
- Liver disease
- Before surgery
Conclusion
Vitamin E is a significant antioxidant that is required in your body for a healthy immune system. Also, it is important to keep the track of Vitamin E dosage in your body.
Make sure to meet the expected RDA of vitamin E to avoid any further problems. In addition, utilization of supplementation of vitamin E must begin only under medical supervision.
You must reach out to the consultant before taking Vitamin E in any form if you are under certain medications.
You must always prefer consuming natural forms of Vitamin E rather than synthetic ones.
References/Sources
Working4Health prefers using primary and verified references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and our primary references include peer-reviewed research, academic, and medical institution studies.
- Adonis Saremi, Rohit Arora Vitamin E and cardiovascular disease Am J Ther. 2010 May-Jun;17(3):e56-65. doi: 10.1097/MJT.0b013e31819cdc9a. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19451807/
- Hamza El Hadi, Roberto Vettor, and Marco Rossato Vitamin E as a Treatment for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Reality or Myth? Antioxidants (Basel). 2018 Jan; 7(1): 12.Published online 2018 Jan 16. doi: 10.3390/antiox7010012
- Fariba Jaffary, Gita Faghihi, Arghavan Mokhtarian, et al. Effects of oral vitamin E on treatment of atopic dermatitis: A randomized controlled trial J Res Med Sci. 2015 Nov; 20(11): 1053–1057.doi: 10.4103/1735-1995.172815
- Agnese Gugliandolo, Placido Bramanti, and Emanuela Mazzon Role of Vitamin E in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: Evidence from Animal Models Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Dec; 18(12): 2504.Published online 2017 Nov 23. doi: 10.3390/ijms18122504
- Lucile Capuron, Aurélie Moranis, Nicole Combe, et al. Vitamin E status and quality of life in the elderly: influence of inflammatory processes Br J Nutr. 2009 Nov; 102(10): 1390–1394.doi: 10.1017/S0007114509990493
- Corrine Hanson, Elizabeth Lyden, Jeremy Furtado, et al. Serum Tocopherol Levels and Vitamin E Intake are Associated with Lung Function in the Normative Aging Study Clin Nutr. 2016 Feb; 35(1): 169–174.Published online 2015 Feb 7. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2015.01.020
- Vitamin E Updated: March 26, 2021 Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/
- Vitamin E Available from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-e/
- Vitamin E Updated: March 22, 2021 Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-Consumer/
- Yadan Fan, Terrence J. Adam, Reed McEwan, et al. Detecting Signals of Interactions Between Warfarin and Dietary Supplements in Electronic Health Records Stud Health Technol Inform. 2017; 245: 370–374.
- Kristen N. Owen; Olga Dewald. Vitamin E Toxicity Last Update: June 19, 2022. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564373/
- E L Berson, B Rosner, M A Sandberg, et al. A randomized trial of vitamin A and vitamin E supplementation for retinitis pigmentosa Arch Ophthalmol. 1993 Jun;111(6):761-72. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1993.01090060049022. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8512476/
- About the Author
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Alisha Matthew has been a practicing nutritionist since 2016. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of IOWA. She is a staunch believer in improving the human health index by educating people about nutrition and the importance of nutrition in leading a healthy and happy life. Her long-term goal is to keep educating people on general health and keep herself updated with the latest trends in the field of health.