How much Vitamin E do you need each day?

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble molecule that's essential for many functions in your body. Your body needs to obtain vitamin E from your diet. Fortunately, Vitamin E deficiencies tend to be relatively rate.

Professionally Reviewed by Charles Li, MD

Key Points

Daily Vitamin E

Why you need Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps your body fight the damaging effects of free radicals. These powerful molecules are believed to play a key role in aging and cell damage.

Where can you get Vitamin E?

Vitamin E can be commonly found in oils and foods with natural plant oils. Nuts and seeds contain lots of Vitamin E.

What are the benefits of Vitamin E?

Vitamin E is believed to play a key role in brain health. Studies have linked a diet rich in Vitamin E with a healthier brain in old age.

Adults

Vitamin E Requirements

Most adults need around 15 milligrams of Vitamin E each day. This corresponds to a few servings of sunflower seeds, almonds, or cooking oils. Women who are lactating need slightly more, with a recommended daily allowance of 19mg per day.

Vitamin E

Requirements with age

Generally, children need more Vitamin E as they get older. Their Vitamin E requirement per day increases dramatically as they mature. Once they reach age 14, they need just as much Vitamin E as any other adult.

Vitamin E

Key Facts

The Basics

Key Facts

Vitamin E

The Basics

Key Facts

Type
Fat Soluble
Other Names
α-tocopherol
Sources
Diet, Liver

Appearance

Uses:

Antioxidant

Inflammation

Immunity

Vitamin E

Key Facts

Amount per day

15mg

Source: Institute of Medicine

Types of Foods

Nuts & Seeds

Sunflower seeds, wheat germ, and almonds

Deficiency

Rare in healthy individuals

Key Benefits

Vitamin E

Your daily dose of Vitamin E has several exciting benefits. We've summarized the key research below.

click for the latest research

Parkinson's

Neuro

Cancer

Heart Disease

Vitamin E Benefit #1

Brain Health

Did you know that a diet rich in Vitamin E can help your brain stay healthy with age? Research has associated Vitamin E in your diet with a lower rate of cognitive decline.

A study looking at the dietary habits of 2,889 individuals found that those who had a lot of Vitamin E in their diet had a lower rate of cognitive decline compared to those who did not.

Data Source

"Vitamin E intake, from foods or supplements, is associated with less cognitive decline with age."

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12117360/

Vitamin E Benefit #2

Parkinsons Disease

Several studies have demonstrated that high Vitamin E correlates with a lower risk of Parkinson's Disease. As the meta-analysis below shows, those who eat just a moderate amount of Vitamin E have a significantly lower risk of developing Parkinson's Disease.

A meta-analysis found that those who ate lots of Vitamin E also had a lower risk of Parkinson's Disease. This was found for both moderate intake, "relative risk 0·81, 95% CI 0·67–0·98", and high intake: 0·78, 0·57–1·06

Data Source

""We found that dietary intake of vitamin E protects against PD. This protective influence was seen with both moderate intake (relative risk 0·81, 95% CI 0·67–0·98) and high intake (0·78, 0·57–1·06) of vitamin E" "

Source: Intake of vitamin E, vitamin C, and carotenoids and the risk of Parkinson's disease: a meta-analysis

Vitamin E Benefit #3

Heart Disease

A diet rich in Vitamin E has been associated with a lower risk of heart disease. However, the jury is still out on this particular benefit, as clinical trials have not been able to replicate this benefit with dietary supplements.

Nurses who chose to take Vitamin E also tended to have a lower risk of heart disease. (0.66 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.50 to 0.87) after adjustment for age and smoking). In the long run, their risk was even lower: RR= "0.59 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.38 to 0.91) after adjustment for age, smoking status, risk factors for coronary disease, and use of other antioxidant nutrients"

Data Source

"As compared with women in the lowest fifth of the cohort with respect to vitamin E intake, those in the top fifth had a relative risk of major coronary disease of 0.66 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.50 to 0.87) after adjustment for age and smoking. "

Source: Vitamin E Consumption and the Risk of Coronary Disease in Women