Vitamin E
What it is and what it does
- Vitamin E is the collective name for a group of fat-soluble compounds. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (updated 2021-03-26))
- Naturally occurring vitamin E has eight forms: alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocopherol, and alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocotrienol. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (updated 2021-03-26))
- Only alpha-tocopherol contributes vitamin E activity; the other tocopherols and tocotrienols do not. (ICMR-NIN. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (Longvah T et al.))
- Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that stops the production of reactive oxygen species formed when fat is oxidised. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (updated 2021-03-26))
- Tocotrienols and gamma-tocopherol are thought to scavenge peroxyl radicals and reactive nitrogen species (respectively) better than alpha-tocopherol does. (Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University. Micronutrient Information Center: Vitamin E (updated May 2024; reviewed August 2024))
- Vitamin E helps widen blood vessels and keep blood from clotting inside them. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Consumers (updated 2021-03-22))
- Vitamin E is involved in immune function. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (updated 2021-03-26))
- Cells use vitamin E to interact with each other and to carry out many functions. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Consumers (updated 2021-03-22))
Why it matters
- Vitamin E deficiency is very rare in healthy people. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Consumers (updated 2021-03-22))
- It is almost always linked to conditions in which fat is not properly digested or absorbed. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Consumers (updated 2021-03-22))
- Deficiency can cause nerve and muscle damage, with loss of feeling in the arms and legs. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Consumers (updated 2021-03-22))
- Research has not found any harmful effects from vitamin E in food. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (updated 2021-03-26))
- In supplement form, high doses of vitamin E might increase the risk of bleeding, by reducing the blood's ability to clot after a cut or injury. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Consumers (updated 2021-03-22))
General information, not medical advice — for your own needs, ask a doctor or dietitian.
How much is needed
| Who | Amount | What the figure is | Whose figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | 7.5-10 mg tocopherol/day | Requirement (from 0.8 mg alpha-tocopherol per g of dietary essential fatty acids) | ICMR-NIN 2020 |
| Basis of the requirement | 0.8 mg alpha-tocopherol per g of dietary essential fatty acids | Requirement basis | ICMR-NIN 2020 |
| Men and women, 14+ years (US) | 15 mg/day (alpha-tocopherol) | RDA | US NASEM via NIH ODS (not an Indian value) |
| Pregnancy (US) | 15 mg/day (alpha-tocopherol) | RDA | US NASEM via NIH ODS (not an Indian value) |
| Lactation (US) | 19 mg/day (alpha-tocopherol) | RDA | US NASEM via NIH ODS (not an Indian value) |
| Adults 19+ years, men and women incl. pregnancy and lactation (US) | 1,000 mg/day (supplemental alpha-tocopherol) | UL (tolerable upper intake level) | US NASEM via NIH ODS (not an Indian value) |
India’s own figure (ICMR-NIN 2020) comes first. Figures from other bodies are shown only where they help, and say whose they are.
Sources: ICMR-NIN Expert Group. Short Report of Nutrient Requirements for Indians: Recommended Dietary Allowances and Estimated Average Requirements - 2020; NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (updated 2021-03-26)
In every millet and pseudo-cereal, per 100 g raw
| Grain | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin E: alpha-tocopherol | ||
| Quinoa | 2.08 mg | IFCT A009 |
| Little millet | 0.28 mg | IFCT A016 |
| Fonio | 0.11 mg | FAO WAFCT 2019 |
| Bajra (pearl millet) | 0.1 mg | IFCT A003 |
| Ragi (finger millet) | 0.09 mg | IFCT A010 |
| Teff | 0.08 mg | USDA FDC 169747 |
| Rajgira (amaranth) | 0.06 mg | IFCT A002 |
| Proso millet | 0.05 mg | USDA FDC 169702 |
| Jowar (sorghum) | 0.04 mg | IFCT A005 |
| Kodo millet | 0.03 mg | IFCT A017 |
| Vitamin E: beta-tocopherol | ||
| Little millet | 0.67 mg | IFCT A016 |
| Rajgira (amaranth) | 0.22 mg | IFCT A002 |
| Fonio | 0.17 mg | FAO WAFCT 2019 |
| Quinoa | 0.06 mg | IFCT A009 |
| Teff | 0.02 mg | USDA FDC 169747 |
| Vitamin E: gamma-tocopherol | ||
| Teff | 5.04 mg | USDA FDC 169747 |
| Quinoa | 2.85 mg | IFCT A009 |
| Bajra (pearl millet) | 1.42 mg | IFCT A003 |
| Ragi (finger millet) | 0.66 mg | IFCT A010 |
| Fonio | 0.63 mg | FAO WAFCT 2019 |
| Kodo millet | 0.43 mg | IFCT A017 |
| Jowar (sorghum) | 0.27 mg | IFCT A005 |
| Rajgira (amaranth) | 0.03 mg | IFCT A002 |
| Vitamin E: delta-tocopherol | ||
| Teff | 0.07 mg | USDA FDC 169747 |
| Vitamin E: alpha-tocotrienol | ||
| Teff | 0.02 mg | USDA FDC 169747 |
| Vitamin E: gamma-tocotrienol | ||
| Little millet | 0.28 mg | IFCT A016 |
| Teff | 0.23 mg | USDA FDC 169747 |
| Kodo millet | 0.19 mg | IFCT A017 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol equivalents) | ||
| Quinoa | 2.39 mg | IFCT A009 |
| Little millet | 0.55 mg | IFCT A016 |
| Bajra (pearl millet) | 0.24 mg | IFCT A003 |
| Fonio | 0.24 mg | FAO WAFCT 2019 |
| Ragi (finger millet) | 0.16 mg | IFCT A010 |
| Rajgira (amaranth) | 0.15 mg | IFCT A002 |
| Kodo millet | 0.07 mg | IFCT A017 |
| Jowar (sorghum) | 0.06 mg | IFCT A005 |
Each grain has ONE source, named on its page: IFCT = Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN) with its food code; USDA FDC; FAO WAFCT 2019; NIN 2007 via ICAR-IIMR. Values exactly as printed, not converted — tables differ in method, so compare within a source. Published values for the grain, not a laboratory test of our packs.
Absorption and food
- Fats carry the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and carotenes, and help their absorption. (ICMR-NIN. Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024)
- The digestive system needs some fat to absorb vitamin E. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Consumers (updated 2021-03-22))
- Forms of vitamin E other than alpha-tocopherol are actively broken down and excreted by the body. (Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University. Micronutrient Information Center: Vitamin E (updated May 2024; reviewed August 2024))
- Refining oils does not change their fatty acid make-up but does change their minor components (which include tocopherols and tocotrienols). (ICMR-NIN. Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024)
- ICMR-NIN advises that the diet include enough vegetable oil to obtain vitamin E. (ICMR-NIN Expert Group. Short Report of Nutrient Requirements for Indians: Recommended Dietary Allowances and Estimated Average Requirements - 2020)
- Alpha-tocopherol is found in vegetable oils (olive, sunflower and safflower oils), nuts, seeds, whole grains, avocados, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables. (Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University. Micronutrient Information Center: Vitamin E (updated May 2024; reviewed August 2024))
- Tocotrienols are found in palm oil and rice bran oil. (ICMR-NIN. Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024)