General questions about vitamin E
What is vitamin E?
Contrary to popular belief, vitamin E is not a single compound—it is a collection of 8 isomers including 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols. These isomers function as fat-soluble antioxidants that support multiple areas of health in the body including brain, liver, heart, immune and skin health.
The most studied and well known isomer is d-alpha tocopherol. This is the only form of vitamin E that currently has an established RDA to maintain optimal health. Recent studies, however, suggest that there may be broad-spectrum benefits to consuming the full-spectrum of vitamin E isomers, particularly the tocotrienols, than just tocopherols alone.
What are some risk factors for a vitamin E deficiency?
According to the Linus Pauling Institute, more than 90% of the United States population fails to meet the RDA for vitamin E in their daily diet. Optimal vitamin E intake is challenged by modern diets that lack adequate amounts of fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. Given that vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient, individuals that have a difficult time digesting or absorbing fats are at a greater risk of deficiency. Likewise, those with gastrointestinal disorders, like Crohn’s disease, must be especially mindful of their vitamin E intake because long-term deficiency of vitamin E may lead to nerve and muscle damage, vision problems, liver/kidney problems, and immune challenges.
Are there any food sources of vitamin E?
Vitamin E tocopherols can be found in a wide variety of plant-based foods. Fruits and vegetables that are good sources of vitamin E include spinach, swiss chard, mustard greens, beet greens, broccoli, carrots, avocado, olives, cranberries, raspberries, and kiwifruit. Some seeds and nuts, like sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans, as well as plant-sourced oils like sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, and olive oil can also be good sources of tocopherols provided they are not overly refined or processed. Virgin red palm oil is known to be the richest food source of tocotrienols while rice bran, barley, and wheat germ may have more limited amounts. Supplementation may sometimes be required to get therapeutic amounts of tocotrienols.
What is the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin E?
Until recently, only one of the eight isomers of vitamin E, d-alpha tocopherol, was considered nutritionally significant and it is the only form of vitamin E that currently has an established RDA to maintain optimal health. The 100% daily value (%DV) for vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopherol) for individuals 18 years of age and older is 15 mg. This goes up to 19 mg per day during pregnancy/breastfeeding. As with any supplement, please talk to your healthcare provider prior to supplementation to ensure you are following the dosing schedule that is right for your particular health needs.
Is there an established upper toxicity limit for vitamin E?
The Upper Tolerable Limit (UL), established by the Food and Nutrition Bard (FNB) of the Institute of Medicine, is considered to be the highest amount you can take of a nutrient without theoretical risk. The UL for vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) in adults is set at 1000 milligrams per day. This UL has been established primarily in an effort to avoid impaired blood clotting, which may potentially occur from high intakes of vitamin E.
Can vitamin E supplements be taken with OTC or prescription medications?
If you are taking or planning to take an OTC or prescription medication, please consult a licensed pharmacist or your healthcare provider before beginning supplementation to minimize risk of side effects associated with potential supplement-drug interactions.
- Still have questions?
- For general information about vitamin E, check out the resources below—
- Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Consumers — Office of Dietary Supplements
- Vitamin E — Linus Pauling Institute
- Vitamin E — Harvard School of Public Health
- The Role of Vitamin E in Human Health and Some Diseases
- For specific guidance on the suitability of vitamin E to support your particular health goals, please talk to your healthcare provider.
Questions about Vitamin E Gold
What is the source of vitamin E in Vitamin E Gold?
Vitamin E Gold provides all eight (8) isomers of vitamin E—4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols—from sunflower and sustainable red palm oils.
How does Vitamin E Gold compare with conventional vitamin E supplements?
Full-Spectrum — Contrary to popular belief, Vitamin E is not a single compound; it is a collection of 8 isomers, each of which has a slightly different pharmacological activity in the body. Most vitamin E products contain ONLY d-alpha tocopherol (natural) or dl-alpha tocopherol (synthetic) without the other tocopherols or tocotrienols. Vitamin E Gold features all eight (8) isomers of vitamin E (4 tocopherols + 4 tocotrienols) offering broad-spectrum benefits.
Powerful Antioxidant — Recent studies are highlighting the benefits of consuming the full-spectrum of vitamin E isomers, particularly the tocotrienols, which appear to possess greater and more powerful antioxidant potential than tocopherols alone. Tocotrienols may be therapeutically more beneficial in terms of supporting healthy cognitive, liver, and heart functions. Vitamin E Gold includes Evnol SupraBio™, a clinically-proven tocotrienol complex that supports brain, liver, heart, immune and skin health*.
Bioavailable — The clinically-proven Evnol SupraBio™ ingredient in Vitamin E Gold contains a patented self-emulsifying delivery system that ensures enhanced and consistent absorption of each individual tocotrienol into human plasma of up to 300% compared to a regular tocotrienol oil extract.
Natural (Non-synthetic) — Some vitamin E products contain synthetic vitamin E (dl-alpha tocopherol), which is generally produced from petrochemicals and may suffer from low bioavailability. Vitamin E Gold features a 100% natural, soy-free source of all 8 isomers of vitamin E.
How does NutriGold ensure the purity of the ingredients used in its Vitamin E Gold product?
At NutriGold, we go above and beyond what is recommended or required under current GMPs to independently verify that the raw materials used in our products as well as the finished products themselves meet industry-defining quality and purity standards. Depending on the complexity of the testing involved, including determining what needs to be tested, what methods are fit-for-purpose, and which lab is most qualified to perform the testing, we sometimes have results from as many as 4 or 5 different independent, ISO-certified labs for each product. We take these results from third-party labs and summarize them in lot-specific Certificates of Analysis that are freely available in the spirit of authentic transparency on the product pages on our website so consumers can make informed purchasing decisions.
What assurance can you provide that the amount of vitamin E listed on the label is actually in the product?
All of our products are verified by independent third-party labs to meet identity, purity, and potency label claims. We take these results from third-party labs and summarize them in lot-specific Certificates of Analysis (C of A) that are freely available in the spirit of authentic transparency on the product pages on our website so consumers can make informed purchasing decisions. The C of A provides assurance that the claims made on the label accurately reflect the contents of the product inside the bottle. If interested, more information on our our commitment to independent, third party quality testing can be found at this link - https://nutrigold.com/pages/accountability
What is the best time of day to take Vitamin E Gold? Should it be taken with food?
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that tends to be better absorbed when consumed with dietary fat (usually a component of most meals). However, as a matter of principle and in the interest of your health and safety, we encourage you to consult your healthcare provider prior to supplementation to determine what use, if any, is best for your individual needs.
What is the polyglyceryl-10 caprylate/caprate in Vitamin E Gold?
The health benefits of vitamin E can only be fully experienced if it is properly absorbed. Research has demonstrated that the bioavailability of tocotrienols in the human body is dependent upon not only the consumption of other dietary fats but also proper bile secretion and emulsification in the small intestine. Given this, the clinically proven Evnol SupraBio™ ingredient included in Vitamin E Gold contains a patented self-emulsifying delivery system that ensures enhanced and consistent absorption of each individual tocotrienol into human plasma of up to 300% compared to a regular tocotrienol oil extract. The use of a plant-based emulsifier, polyglyceryl-10 caprylate/caprate ensures optimal absorption in the human body so that one may obtain the proven health benefits of these tocotrienols.
The safety of the EVNol SupraBio™ complex in Vitamin E Gold, which includes the polyglyceryl-10 caprylate emulsifier, has been established in many clinical trials with various doses of tocotrienols. In addition, the safety of EVNol SupraBio™ was reviewed by a panel of experts and it was granted GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) with no objection letter from US FDA (GRAS Notice No is GRN000307).
Can I break apart the capsule and add the contents to liquid/food to consume?
All of our products are formulated to be taken as capsules and our purity and potency claims are based on the product being taken as recommended. We generally do not recommend breaking apart the capsules because it can introduce contaminants or otherwise compromise product potency and effectiveness.
Is Vitamin E Gold suitable for children (under 18 years of age)?
Vitamin E Gold is formulated for individuals over 18 years. Because children are considered a vulnerable population, we regret we cannot make any recommendations regarding the use of our products by or for children under the age of 18. We ask that you talk to your pediatrician or family practitioner about whether or not Vitamin E Gold is suitable and safe for your child’s particular healthcare needs prior to supplementation.