Vitamin E
Alpha-tocopherol (tocopherols)
Vitamins. Modern nutrition.
Also called Tocopherol, Alpha-tocopherol, Tocotrienol, Mixed tocopherols
Pinyin: wéishēngsù E
Spanish: Vitamina E
High doses may raise bleedingA fat-soluble antioxidant that helps protect cell membranes from damage. Most people get enough from nuts, seeds and oils.
Did you know? The liver has a special protein that picks out alpha-tocopherol, the main form of vitamin E, and sends it into the blood. Other forms found in many foods get cleared faster.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Nerve health. People who cannot absorb fat, such as some people with rare genetic or digestive conditions, can become low in vitamin E. Low vitamin E can damage nerves and balance. Vitamin E pills correct this deficiency.Strong proof
- Heart health. Early studies linked vitamin E to fewer heart attacks, but large pill trials did not show heart protection. Some high-dose trials found more heart failure or bleeding strokes.Not supported
- Wounds, burns & bites. Vitamin E creams are sold for scars. A review of trials found no clear improvement in scars, and vitamin E can cause contact allergy.Not supported
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Olive oil, nuts and seeds have long been part of Mediterranean diets, which are rich in vitamin E. Vitamin E has no long herbal tradition as a supplement.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Antioxidant, Nutritive. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Adults need 15 mg a day of alpha-tocopherol (RDA). The upper limit is 1,000 mg a day from pills and fortified foods. Large trials used 400 IU a day, and some of them found harms.
Food, oil and capsule.
Where to get it
Good sources are sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, peanut butter, wheat germ, sunflower and safflower oil, spinach, broccoli, kiwi and mango. Pills come as natural d-alpha-tocopherol or synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol, and the natural form is absorbed better.
Be careful
Vitamin E is safe at food amounts. High doses can raise bleeding risk and can cause stomach upset. In the SELECT trial, men who took 400 IU a day had a higher prostate cancer risk. One large trial linked high doses to more bleeding strokes.
Avoid if: bleeding disorders; before surgery; prostate cancer history.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Vitamin C helps recycle vitamin E in the body after vitamin E has done its work.
- Works well together
Vitamin E protects the oil from spoiling and is often added to products.
- Works well together
Vitamin E helps protect the oil from spoiling.
- Works well together
Both are fat-soluble and help protect cells from damage.
- Works well together
Both are fat-soluble antioxidants, and some heart and healthy-aging blends include both.
- Use cautionBlood thinners (warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto, Plavix, daily aspirin)
High-dose vitamin E can add to bleeding risk when taken with blood thinners such as warfarin.
- Worth knowing
Vitamin E and selenium both support antioxidant defenses. Pills of both did not prevent prostate cancer in the SELECT trial.
Adds up with others that may slow blood clotting: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 40 more.
The honest take
Vitamin E is needed, and most people get enough from nuts and seeds. Large pill trials did not show that extra vitamin E prevents heart disease or cancer, and some high-dose trials showed harm. Creams for scars do not work well either.