Getting vitamin E out of the medicine cabinet and onto the table

Caught in a quandary about how to handle vitamin E, consumers who have taken hefty doses for years are now rethinking their approach to the potent antioxidant. While research from the past decade claimed that vitamin E may prevent a litany of chronic diseases, other researchers argue that no strong evidence exists to support the claim; a new review of 19 studies contends that taking 400 international units (IU) or more of the vitamin per day might increase the risk of mortality. What's a conscientious consumer to do? For now, say many health professionals, stick to the natural delivery system of vitamin E: food.

What it does:

Scientists have not yet elucidated all of vitamin E's roles, but they hypothesize that it has a role in immune function, DNA repair, the formation of red blood cells and vitamin K absorption. They have confirmed that vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, particularly in protecting cell membranes from damage.

The debate lies in whether supplements can prevent future illness, and many observational studies have in fact linked vitamin E to a reduced risk of heart ailments, cataracts and Alzheimer's disease, as well as an improvement in immune function. Laboratory studies have also discovered that the vitamin can kill certain cancer cells.

But many scientists point to the fact that large-scale, randomized clinical trialsa "the gold standard of experimentsa "have yet to observe these benefits. Claus Schneider, a biochemist at Vanderbilt University, points out that aside from possible dangers, synthetic vitamin E supplements do not provide the same mix of alpha, beta, delta and gamma compounds found in natural foods (however, alpha tocopherol is the most biologically active form).

How much you need:

The RDA in men and women is 23 IU, or 15 milligrams, and because many E-rich foods come from nuts and oils, some low-fat diets may be inadequate in vitamin E. Because most foods have small amounts of vitamin E it's virtually impossible to get too much vitamin E through food, and some people may find it difficult to achieve the recommended dietary allowance through diet alone. As insurance, you may want to take a multivitamin that provides 100 percent of the vitamin E requirement, but use caution with high-dose supplementation- the upper tolerable limit for the vitamin is set at 1000 milligrams alpha tocopherol.

Food Sources of Vitamin E:

1 Tbsp. wheat germ oil = 20 mg

1/4 cup sunflower seeds = 12 mg

1 cup cooked spinach = 7 mg

1 ounce almonds (23 nuts) = 7 mg

1 Tbsp. safflower oil = 5 mg

1 ounce hazelnuts (21 nuts) = 4 mg

Related Links:

  • Featured Nutrient: Vitamin K
  • EatingWell.com