Vitamins, minerals and supplements - Vitamin E

Vitamin E has several important functions. For example, it acts as an antioxidant, which protects cell membranes.

This helps to maintain healthy skin, eyes and strengthens the immune system.

Good sources of vitamin E

Vitamin E is found in a wide variety of foods. The richest sources are plant oils, such as soya, corn and olive oil.

Other good sources include:

• nuts and seeds
• wheat germ ‐ found in cereals and cereal products

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 daily diet.

Any vitamin E your body doesn't need immediately is stored for future use, so you don't need it in your diet every day.

What happens if I take too much vitamin E?

There isn't 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 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, don't take too much.

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