Vitamin E - Vitamins and minerals

Vitamin E helps maintain healthy skin and eyes, and strengthen the body's natural defence against illness and infection (the immune system).

Good sources of vitamin E

Vitamin E is a group of compounds found in a wide variety of foods.

Good sources include:

• plant oils – such as rapeseed (vegetable oil), sunflower, soya, corn and olive oil
• nuts and seeds
• wheatgerm – found in cereals and cereal product

How much vitamin E do I need?

The amount of vitamin E you need is:

• 4mg a day for men
• 3mg a day for women

You should be able to get all the vitamin E you need from your diet.

Any vitamin E your body does not need immediately is stored for future use, so you do not need it in your diet every day.

What happens if I take too much vitamin E?

There is not enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of vitamin E supplements each day.

What does the Department of Health and Social Care advise?

You should be able to get the amount of vitamin E you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.

If you take vitamin E supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful.

Taking 540mg (800 IU) or less a day of vitamin E supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.