Information About Vitamin E
- Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that may improve immune function.
- Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protects cells from damage by free radicals. Free radicals can damage tissues and organs in the body.
- Vitamin E may play a role in preventing chronic disease such as heart disease and cancer but this is still being studied.
- Research does not support taking vitamin E supplements for the prevention of chronic disease. Most Canadians can get the vitamin E they need from foods.
How Much Vitamin E Should I Aim For?
| Age in Years | Aim for an intake of milligrams (mg) /day** |
Stay below mg/day* |
| Men and Women 19 and older |
15* | 1000* |
| Pregnant Women 19 and older |
15* | 1000* |
| Breastfeeding Women 19 and older |
15* | 1000* |
*as alpha-tocopherol
**this amount includes sources of vitamin E from fortified food and supplements
Vitamin E Content of Some Common Foods
Vitamin E is found mainly in foods that contain fat like margarine, vegetable oil, wheat germ, nuts, nut butters, and seeds. The following table shows you foods which are sources of vitamin E.
| Food | Serving size | Vitamin E (mg) |
| Vegetables and Fruits | ||
| Spinach, cooked | 125 mL (½ cup) | 2-4 |
| Dandelion greens, raw | 250 mL (1 cup) | 2 |
| Tomato sauce, canned | 125 mL (½ cup) | 2 |
| Swiss chard, cooked | 125 mL (½ cup) | 2 |
| Turnip greens, cooked | 125 mL (½ cup) | 2 |
| Pepper, red, cooked | 125 mL (½ cup) | 2 |
| Avocado | ½ fruit | 1-4 |
| Grains Products | ||
| Cereal, wheat germ, toasted | 30 g (¼ cup) | 5 |
| Milk and Alternatives | This food group contains very little of this nutrient. | |
| Meat and Alternatives | ||
| Egg, cooked | 2 large | 2-3 |
| Fish and Seafood | ||
| Eel, cooked | 75 g (2 ½ oz) | 4 |
| Halibut, cooked | 75 g (2 ½ oz) | 2 |
| Herring, cooked | 75 g (2 ½ oz) | 2 |
| Sardines, canned with oil | 75 g (2 ½ oz) | 2 |
| Tuna, white, canned with oil | 75 g (2 ½ oz) | 2 |
| Nuts and Seeds | ||
| Almonds, unblanched, without shell | 60 mL (¼ cup) | 9-10 |
| Sunflower seeds, without shell | 60 mL (¼ cup) | 8-13 |
| Almonds, blanched, without shell | 60 mL (¼ cup) | 2-9 |
| Almond butter | 30 mL (2 Tbsp) | 8 |
| Hazelnuts, without shell | 60 mL (¼ cup) | 5 |
| Peanuts, without shell | 60 mL (¼ cup) | 3 |
| Peanut butter | 30 mL (2 Tbsp) | 3 |
| Pine nuts | 60 mL (¼ cup) | 3 |
| Brazil nuts | 60 mL (¼ cup) | 2 |
| Meat Alternatives | ||
| Meatless (fish sticks, wiener, chicken), cooked | 75 g (2 ½ oz) | 1-3 |
| Meatless, luncheon slices | 75 g (2 ½ oz) | 2 |
| Fats and Oils | ||
| Vegetable oil, wheat germ | 5 mL (1 tsp) | 7 |
| Vegetable oil (sunflower, safflower) | 5 mL (1 tsp) | 2 |
Source: “Canadian Nutrient File 2010”
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/fiche-nutri-data/index-eng.php
[accessed March 23, 2012]
The Way To Eat 