Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin which exists in eight different forms. Its primary function is to prevent the oxidation of polyunsaturated fats. It is therefore a powerful antioxidant.
Where do I get Vitamin E from?
Vitamin E is found in most products that contain polyunsaturated oils.
How much Vitamin E do I need?
The Australian Nutrient Guidelines recommend 7mg of Vitamin E per day for healthy adult women and 10mg for men.
The US institute of medicine recommends 15mg per day for men and women.
The Australian Guidelines recommend a safe upper limit for healthy adults of 300mg per day. This represents the number that they recommend you do not exceed. It is more than thirty times the recommended dietary minimum. So there is plenty of room to take enough Vitamin E without risk of excess intake.
There is some conflicting but troubling evidence that at much higher doses (like 30 times the daily recommended amount), Vitamin E can cause increased risk of various diseases. It may also cause excess bleeding when combined in high doses with blood thinners.
Unless you are consuming extremely high doses of oil or taking many more than the recommended dose of daily supplements, excess Vitamin E intake is unlikely.
