How to Get Enough of the Different Vitamin E Isomers (Including Tocotrienols):
Most food sources in the typical person’s diet are high in vitamin E isomers like gamma-tocopherol and to a lesser degree alpha-tocopherol. This is especially true of oils derived from major crops like soybean, corn, cottonseed and sesame seed, which provide about 80 percent of the vitamin E isomers most people in the U.S. get from their diets. These oils contain between three to five times as much gamma-tocopherol compared alpha.
As mentioned above, it’s harder to get tocotrienols from your diet, as sources are far less common or available. The Linus Pauling Institute recommends aiming for small amounts of tocotrienol vitamin E near 140 milligrams/day, with an average effective dose for immune protection and other benefits considered to be between 200–400 milligrams/day. Here are tips on finding the best sources:
- Although it’s very hard to find at this time, the seed of the annatto tree (Bixa orellana), which is a tropical plant, contains very high levels of tocotrienols, of which 90 percent are delta-tocotrienol and 10 percent gamma-tocotrienol.
- Other good sources are rice oil, palm oil and rice bran oil, along with peanuts, pecans and walnuts.
- Some others that are more common include oats, rye and barley cereal grains, although these don’t have as much as other, rarer sources.
- If you’re looking to increase the amount of all isomers vitamin E that you’re consuming in a day, there are lots of ways to get creative using these foods. Try adding nuts or seeds to your cereal, oatmeal or salad. You can also snack on raw nuts or make your own grain-free granola.
- Add a boost of vitamin E to your lunch or dinner by having a spinach or kale salad; add in tomatoes or even fresh fruit like papaya.
- If you’re looking to have a healthy, vitamin E-heavy snack, try a sliced apple with peanut butter or smashed avocado on whole grain sprouted toast.
- Another easy way to get some vitamin E benefits from your diet is to add just a tablespoon of wheat germ oil to any recipe.
Recommended Daily Intake of Vitamin E
The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin E (including different isomers), according to the USDA, includes the amount you get from both the food that you eat and any supplements you take. The daily intake is measured in milligrams (mg) and international units (IU). Recommendations for different age groups are listed below:
Children:
- 1–3 years: 6 mg/day (9 IU)
- 4–8 years: 7 mg/day (10.4 IU)
- 9–13 years: 11 mg/day (16.4 IU)
Females:
- 14 years and up: 15 mg/day (22.4 IU)
- Pregnant: 15 mg/day (22.4 IU)
- Breast-feeding: 19 mg/day (28.5 IU)
Males:
- 14 years and up: 15 mg/day (22.4 IU)
The tolerable upper intake levels are the highest amount of a vitamin that most people can take safely. These high doses can be used to treat a vitamin E deficiency, and it’s important to speak to a doctor before taking more than these upper intake levels.
- 1–3 years: 200 mg/day (300 IU)
- 4–8 years: 300 mg/day (450 IU)
- 9–13 years: 600 mg/day (900 IU)
- 14–18 years: 800 mg/day (1,200 IU)
- 18 years and up: 1,000 mg/day (1,500 IU)
Keep in mind that because vitamin E is fat-soluble, supplements work best when they’re absorbed with food, and the American Heart Association recommends obtaining antioxidants, including vitamin E, by eating a healthy and well-balanced diet that’s high in fruits, veggies and whole grains. Getting your vitamins from the food you eat is always a better alternative than using a supplement because it’s difficult to over-consume vitamin E when getting it from your regular diet.
Vitamin E Deficiency Symptoms
Vitamin E deficiencies (meaning intake of all isomers) have long been thought to be rare, and when they do happen, it’s commonly believed that it’s almost never caused by a poor diet. However, some experts believe that many people today are actually not getting enough vitamin E from their diets in natural form, especially too little tocotrienols.
There are specific situations that may lead to a vitamin E deficiency due to malfunctions in terms of how nutrients are absorbed. A premature infant who is born weighing less than 3.5 pounds is in danger of a vitamin E deficiency, but a pediatrician who specializes in the care of newborns will typically evaluate the nutritional needs of an infant to help spot and treat this early. People with fat absorption problems, which is a common problem for those who struggle with inflammatory bowel disease, may also struggle with a vitamin E deficiency in some cases.
People who have an issue with their dietary fat levels are at an increased risk because as mentioned above, fat is needed for the absorption of vitamin E. This includes anyone who has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, has had gastric bypass surgery, or people with malabsorption problems, such as Crohn’s disease, liver disease or pancreatic insufficiency. Deficiency symptoms include loss of muscle coordination and impaired vision and speech.
Vitamin E Side Effects
Vitamin E benefits most healthy people when taken by mouth or applied directly to the skin. Most people do not experience any side effects when taking the recommended dose, but in high doses there are adverse reactions that have been recorded. Vitamin E may be unsafe when taken in very high amounts, especially for people who have conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. If you suffer from these health issues, do not take doses of 400 IU/day or more.
Some studies show that taking high doses of vitamin E, which is between 300–800 IU each day, might increase the chance of having a serious stroke called hemorrhagic stroke by 22 percent. One serious side effect of too much vitamin E is an increased risk of bleeding, especially in the brain.
Avoid taking supplements containing vitamin E or any other antioxidant vitamins immediately before and following angioplasty, a type of heart procedure. These vitamins seem to interfere with proper healing, so speak to your health care professional if you’re undergoing this kind of procedure and taking any supplements/vitamins.
Supplementing with very high levels of vitamin E could potentially lead to the following health concerns:
- heart failure in people with diabetes
- worsening bleeding disorders
- increasing the chances that head, neck and prostate cancer will return
- increasing bleeding during and after surgery
- increasing chance of death after a heart attack or stroke
One study found that vitamin E supplements can also be harmful to women who are in the early stages of pregnancy. Women who took vitamin E supplements during their first eight weeks of pregnancy showed an increase of congenital heart defects. (source) High doses of vitamin E can also sometimes lead to nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps, fatigue, weakness, headache, blurred vision, rash, bruising and bleeding. Topical vitamin E can irritate some people’s skin, so try a small amount first and make sure you don’t have a sensitivity.
Relationship with Other Nutrients and Interactions
Vitamin E supplements can slow down blood clotting, and when you use medications that also slow clotting, you may increase the chances of bruising and bleeding. Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, clopidogrel, ibuprofen and warfarin. Warfarin (Coumadin), in particular, is used to slow blood clotting. Taking vitamin E with warfarin can increase your chances of bruising and bleeding, so be sure to have your blood checked regularly in order to regulate your dosing.
Medications that are used for lowering cholesterol may also interact with vitamin E. It’s not known if taking vitamin E alone decreases the effectiveness of some cholesterol-lowering medications, but it does seem to affect cholesterol when taken with beta-carotene, vitamin C and selenium.
Signs of Vitamin E Deficiency
A deficiency in vitamin E is very rare and typically only occurs if you have an underlying condition that impairs absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin E. In particular, people with cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s disease, chronic pancreatitis, cholestasis or short bowel syndrome are at a higher risk for vitamin E deficiency.
Common symptoms of a deficiency in vitamin E include: (13)
- Muscle pain
- Weakness
- Vision problems
- Numbness
- Decreased immunity
- Loss of balance
- Tremors
- Difficulty walking
If you think that you may have a vitamin E deficiency, it’s important to talk to your doctor to determine the best course of action. Increasing your intake of foods high in vitamin E is generally recommended over supplementation to minimize the risk of adverse side effects.
Final Thoughts on Vitamin E Benefits
- Vitamin E benefits the body by playing the role of an antioxidant. As a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin E benefits include its role in proper function of many organs, enzymatic activities and neurological processes.
- Vitamin E is a collective description for eight compounds, four tocopherols and four tocotrienols, and they provide different vitamin E benefits. It’s best to get a variety of vitamin E isomers from your diet, given that different types have different benefits.
- Vitamin E benefits include balancing cholesterol, fighting free radicals, preventing disease development, repairing damaged skin, thickening hair, balancing hormones, helping PMS symptoms, improving vision, helping people with Alzheimer’s, potentially lowering cancer risk and improving effects of medical treatments, and boosting physical endurance and muscle strength.
- Vitamin E is found only in plant foods, including certain oils, nuts, grains, fruits and wheat germ. It’s also available as a supplement. Some of the top vitamin E foods you can eat to get these vitamin E benefits include sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, wheat germ, mango, avocado, butternut squash, broccoli, spinach, kiwi and tomato.
- Vitamin E benefits the mother and child during pregnancy as well, as it’s a vital vitamin for growth and development.
- Vitamin E deficiency symptoms include include loss of muscle coordination and impaired vision and speech.
- Vitamin E may be unsafe when taken in very high amounts, especially for people who have conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. If you suffer from these health issues, do not take doses of 400 IU/day or more.
Source: https://draxe.com/vitamin-e-benefits/; https://draxe.com/vitamin-e-foods/
