Tradition
WARNING:
DISCLAIMER:
The below uses are based on tradition, scientific theories, or limited research. They often have not been thoroughly tested in humans, and safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider. There may be other proposed uses that are not listed below.
Dosing
Dietary Sources of Vitamin E:
Eggs, fortified cereals, fruit, green leafy vegetables (such as spinach), meat, nuts/nut oils, poultry, vegetable oils (corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, sunflower), wheat germ oil, whole grains. Cooking and storage may destroy some of the vitamin E in foods.
Adults (18 years and older):
Most individuals in the U.S. are believed to obtain sufficient vitamin E from dietary sources, although individuals with very low-fat diets or intestinal malabsorption disorders may require supplementation. Recommended daily allowances (RDAs) for vitamin E are provided in Alpha-Tocopherol Equivalents (ATE) to account for the different biological activities of the various forms of vitamin E, as well as in International Units (IU) which food and supplement labels often use. For conversion, 1 milligrams ATE = 1.5 IU. The RDA for men or women older than 14 years-old is 15 milligrams (or 22.5 IU); for pregnant women of any age is 15 milligrams (or 22.5 IU); and for breastfeeding women of any age is 19 milligrams (or 28.5 IU). (See: Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2000; National Research Council, Food and Nutrition Board. Recommended Dietary Allowances, 10th ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1989.)
For adults older than 18 years, the tolerable upper limit of dosing for supplementary alpha-tocopherol recommended by the U.S. Institute of Medicine is 1,000 milligrams per day (equivalent to 1,500 IU). This limit recommendation is not altered during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Treatment of vitamin E deficiency should be under medical supervision, tailored to the underlying cause of the deficiency, and may include either oral or injected vitamin E. If the cause is due to chronic malnutrition and there is no evidence of malabsorption, an oral dose that is between 2-5 times greater than the RDA may be considered. If the cause is malabsorption that cannot be corrected, then injections of vitamin E may be necessary. Dosing recommendations vary by the underlying cause.
No specific dosing of vitamin E has been established for other conditions, and there is recent evidence suggesting possible adverse health effects of long-term use of daily supplementation with 400 IU or greater daily. Although controversial, the use of long-term vitamin E supplementation should be approached cautiously until further evidence from prospective clinical trials is available. Various doses and durations have been evaluated in clinical trials, although many have not been proven as effective or safe. Patents are recommended to discuss the choice of dosing and duration with a licensed healthcare professional.
Children (younger than 18 years):
RDAs for vitamin E are provided in Alpha-Tocopherol Equivalents (ATE) to account for the different biological activities of the various forms of vitamin E, as well as in International Units (IU), because food and supplement labels often use this system. For conversion, 1mg ATE = 1.5 IU. There is no RDA for infants, and rather there is a recommended Adequate Intake (AI) for healthy breastfeeding infants ages 0-6 months-old of 4 milligrams per day (6 IU), and for infants ages 7-12 months-old of 5 milligrams per day (7.5 IU). The RDA for children ages 1-3 years-old is 6 milligrams per day (9 IU); for ages 4-8 years-old is 7 milligrams per day (10.5 IU); for ages 9-13 years-old is 11 milligrams per day (16.5 IU); for ages greater than 14 years-old is 15 milligrams per day (22.5 IU); for pregnant women of any age is 15 milligrams (22.5 IU); and for breastfeeding women of any age is 19 milligrams (28.5 IU). (See: Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 2000; National Research Council, Food and Nutrition Board. Recommended Dietary Allowances, 10th ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1989.)
An upper limit for infants up to 12 months of age has not been established. The tolerable daily upper limit of dosing for ages 1-3 years-old is 200 milligrams (300 IU); for ages 4-8 years-old is 300mg (450 IU); for ages 9-13 years-old is 600 milligrams (900 IU); and for ages 14-18 is 800 milligrams (1,200 IU).
Vitamin E deficiency: Treatment of vitamin E deficiency should be under medical supervision, tailored to the underlying cause of the deficiency, and may include either oral or injected vitamin E. Selected doses in specific conditions are noted above under adult dosing.
No specific dosing of vitamin E has been well established for other conditions.
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