Vitamin E

Vitamin E — dosage, safety & deals FAQ

How much Vitamin E do you need per day?

The RDA (as alpha-tocopherol) is 15 mg for everyone 14 years and older, including during pregnancy; 19 mg during lactation. Children: 6 mg (1-3 yrs), 7 mg (4-8 yrs), 11 mg (9-13 yrs). Infants have an Adequate Intake of 4 mg (0-6 months) and 5 mg (7-12 months). — per the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements; general information, not medical advice.

Can you take too much Vitamin E?

Yes. The adult Tolerable Upper Intake Level is 1,000 mg/day (1,500 IU natural or 1,100 IU synthetic form). Research has not found any adverse effects from consuming vitamin E in food, but high doses of alpha-tocopherol supplements can cause hemorrhage and interrupt blood coagulation in animals, and two clinical trials found an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke in participants taking alpha-tocopherol. — per the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements; general information, not medical advice.

What are the signs of Vitamin E deficiency?

Frank deficiency is rare. In people with fat-malabsorption disorders, symptoms include peripheral neuropathy, ataxia, skeletal myopathy, retinopathy, and impairment of the immune response. Severe deficiency (as in abetalipoproteinemia or AVED) can cause poor transmission of nerve impulses, muscle weakness, retinal degeneration that leads to blindness, and loss of the ability to walk. — per the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements; general information, not medical advice.

Who is most likely to need more Vitamin E?

People with fat-malabsorption disorders (such as Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, or an inability to secrete bile) are more likely to become deficient. Those with abetalipoproteinemia may require approximately 100 mg/kg or 5-10 g/day. People with ataxia and vitamin E deficiency (AVED) need large supplemental doses. Premature, very-low-birth-weight babies (<1,500 g) might be deficient. — per the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements; general information, not medical advice.