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Top 5 Common Food Sources of Vitamin E
Looking to get more vitamin E in your diet? Look no further! My team and I have crunched the numbers and did all the math to determine the top 5 common food sources of vitamin E, per serving. Getting enough vitamin E as part of a healthy balanced diet is important since a large collection of studies show that getting nutrients from dietary supplements or multivitamins doesn’t improve health outcomes compared to getting nutrients from foods!
| Rank | Food | Nutrivore Score | Serving Size (Raw) | Vitamin E (mg/serving) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Almond Milk, Unsweetened | 688 | 1 cup | 18.1 | 121 |
| 2 | Pumpkin and Squash Seeds, Shelled, Dried | 271 | 1 oz / 28 g | 10.6 | 71 |
| 3 | Sunflower Seeds, Shelled, Dried | 340 | 1 oz / 28 g | 10.3 | 69 |
| 4 | Sunflower Oil, High Oleic | 105 | 1 tbsp | 8.7 | 58 |
| 5 | Pecans | 221 | 1 oz / 28 g | 7.5 | 50 |
Want to know more about this important vitamin including what vitamin E does in the body, benefits of vitamin E, how much vitamin E we need, what happens if we have low vitamin E levels or if we get too much, and even more awesome vitamin E rich foods to select? Keep reading to learn all there is to know!
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What Is Vitamin E and What Does It Do?
Rather than being a single vitamin, vitamin E is actually a group of eight fat-soluble vitamins (four tocopherols and four tocotrienols), of which alpha-tocopherol is the most biologically important. Its main job is serving as an antioxidant—scavenging free radicals and protecting the lipids in cell membranes against oxidative damage.
During pregnancy, vitamin E plays an important role in supporting embryo development, helping blood circulate in the placenta, and preventing complications involving oxidative stress. In the eye, vitamin E can improve blood flow to the retina and reduce damage caused by low oxygen levels, giving it a protective role in some forms of retinopathy (where blood vessels within the eye’s retina of the eye become injured). This nutrient also influences certain aspects of the immune system, potentially reducing the risk of the common cold and slowing down age-related declines in immune function.
Getting enough vitamin E may even reduce the risk of some chronic diseases. Some evidence suggests it could help fight the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and abundant research shows it can support cardiovascular health (including reducing the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and blood clots). A high vitamin E intake may even be cancer-protective, especially against prostate cancer!
Learn more about vitamin E here.
Vitamin E Deficiency
A 2011 study evaluated American’s usual nutrient intake including nutrients that are naturally-occurring in foods, from fortified and enriched foods, and from vitamin supplements. The results indicated that 96.2% of American adults usual diet falls short of the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for vitamin E intake.
Groups At Risk
Those at higher risk of vitamin E deficiency include:
- individuals with genetic disorders affecting vitamin E transport,
- people with fat digestion or bile secretion problems (such as cholestasis, cystic fibrosis, primary biliary cirrhosis, Crohn’s disease, liver disease, pancreatic insufficiency, or abetalipoproteinemia), and
- premature infants.
Learn more here.
Symptoms of Deficiency
Vitamin E deficiency can cause peripheral neuropathy, nerve issues (like muscle weakness, loss of coordination, and speech difficulties), retina damage leading to blindness, and decreased reflexes or touch sensitivity. In pregnant women, it increases risks of placental issues, miscarriage, premature birth, and hypertensive pregnancy disorders. Mild vitamin E insufficiency can potentially pose long-term consequences for fertility and immunity.
Learn more here.
Problems From Too Much Vitamin E
High doses of vitamin E intake can lead to side effects, including an increased risk of bleeding due to its anticoagulant effects, which may interfere with blood clotting. High-dose vitamin E supplementation carries a risk of interactions with medications like anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs, NSAIDs, and fish oil, which is why a tolerable upper intake level is set at 1,000 mg (or 15,000 international units) per day. Be sure to consult your healthcare provider for medical advice before supplementing with high doses, especially if you have a bleeding disorder or are taking medications that pose an interaction risk.
In addition, studies suggest potential risks of high-dose vitamin E in specific populations, such as increased lung cancer risk in smokers, hemorrhagic stroke in middle-aged men, and increased risk of prostate cancer in those with low selenium levels. High doses of alpha-tocopherol can also lower gamma-tocopherol levels, though more research is needed on the effects of different vitamin E isomers. Always consult a healthcare provider before high-dose supplementation.
Learn more here.
How Much Vitamin E Do We Need?
The following table summarizes the current recommended amounts of vitamin E, based on age, gender, or situation. Requirements increase when breastfeeding. These figures are primarily based on older studies aimed at preventing deficiency symptoms rather than achieving optimal health, suggesting that higher amounts of vitamin E may be needed to unlock its full range of health benefits.
Similar to other fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, and K), vitamin E is best absorbed when consumed with a meal containing fat. Additionally, because the FDA doesn’t mandate listing vitamin E content on food labels unless it’s been added intentionally, reading nutrition labels isn’t an accurate way to determine your intake.
| 0 – 6 months | |||||
| 6 months to < 12 months | |||||
| 1 yr – 3 yrs | |||||
| 4 yrs – 8 yrs | |||||
| 9 yrs – 13 yrs | |||||
| 14 yrs – 18 yrs | |||||
| 19 yrs – 50 yrs | |||||
| 51+ yrs | |||||
| Pregnant (14 – 18 yrs) | |||||
| Pregnant (19 – 30 yrs) | |||||
| Pregnant (31 – 50 yrs) | |||||
| Lactating (14 – 18 yrs) | |||||
| Lactating (19 – 30 yrs) | |||||
| Lactating (31 – 50 yrs) |
Nutrient Daily Values
Nutrition requirements and recommended nutrient intake for infants, children, adolescents, adults, mature adults, and pregnant and lactating individuals.
More Food Sources of Vitamin E
Vitamin E is most abundant in nuts and seeds, including sunflower seeds, almonds, and hazelnuts. It is also present in oily plant foods like avocados, olives (and their oils), palm oil, vegetable oils (e.g., sunflower oil, canola oil, safflower oil), as well as fatty fish, organ meats, tomatoes, corn, asparagus, oats, wheat germ, wheat germ oil, peanuts (peanut butter), chestnuts, coconut, kiwis, and carrots. Additionally, some foods, such as certain breakfast cereals, are fortified with vitamin E.
Best Food Sources of Vitamin E
The following foods have high concentrations of vitamin E, containing at least 50% of the recommended dietary allowance per serving, making them our best foods rich in this valuable antioxidant vitamin!
Good Food Sources of Vitamin E
The following foods are excellent or good sources of vitamin E, containing at least 10% (and up to 50%) of the daily value per serving.
Top 5 Common Food Sources
If you’re looking for top 5 common food sources of other important nutrients check out these posts!
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Foods High in Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
