Vitamin E - Tocopherol Complex supplement, Now Foods

Vitamin E overdose
Digestive disturbances are common with vitamin E overdose. Very high dosages of vitamin E, such as 1,000 units or more, can lead to an increase in bleeding tendency, tiredness, weakness, headache, nausea, and possibly impaired immune function. The symptoms of vitamin E overdose go away relatively quickly after stopping the supplement. It is nearly impossible to have a vitamin E overdose from food alone.

Are you taking too much vitamin E?
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore pooled data from 19 trials of vitamin E supplementation. These included nearly 136,000 subjects who were randomly assigned to take vitamin E or placebo capsules and were followed for more than a year. Overall, vitamin E supplementation did not affect mortality rates. However, the trials testing doses of 400 IU daily or higher showed 39 more deaths occurred per 10,000 people taking high-dose vitamin E than among the same number of people taking a placebo. For low doses of vitamin E -- less than 150 IU daily --  mortality rates were slightly decreased.
     For most people, taking more than 100 to 200 units a day of vitamin E is not necessary. The one problem with this study, though, is that it probably did not make a distinction between synthetic vitamin E supplements and natural vitamin E. On a supplement label, natural vitamin E is listed as d-alpha tocopherol. In contrast, synthetic forms of vitamin E are labeled with a dl- prefix. Also, the study did not account for the d-alpha form of vitamin E versus a natural Vitamin E supplement that includes all the tocopherols and tocotrienols. Even though it is a flawed study, we still think 50 to 200 units a few times a week is quite adequate.

Vitamin E and mental decline
Older adults with low levels of vitamin E are likely to see a faster deterioration in physical function than those with higher vitamin E levels. The authors point out that vitamin E, being a powerful antioxidant, may protect against DNA and muscle damage, atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative disorders. Journal of the American Medical Association, January 23, 2008.

Vitamin E and pregnancy
Pregnant women with high vitamin E levels in their blood may tend to have bigger babies. Vitamin E intake during pregnancy may be important for fetal growth, or, a woman's vitamin E levels could simply be a marker of other factors that promote fetal development -- like a healthful overall diet. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 2006.

Vitamin E questions
Q. I have read before that taking vitamins that have natural vitamin E can raise estrogen levels in the body because natural vitamin E is plant based. Do you know if there is any truth in this idea? I am 37 years old. Is it important as men age to try to suppress estrogen with products like chysin or DIM? Is it possible to free up the bound testosterone from SHBG? I'm trying to understand why my drive was stronger when I was 25.
   A. We have not seen any evidence that natural vitamin E has any significant estrogenic effect. We don't have any reason to suspect that men need to take chrysin or DIM to suppress estrogen. Sex drive naturally decreases with age, it may be hormonal or other factors may also be involved.

Q. Does a vitamin E supplement influence the thyroid gland to a great extent?
   A. We have not seen any studies that indicate taking a vitamin E supplement has a strong influence on thyroid gland hormone release.

Q. Is vitamin E helpful for Parkinson's disease?
   A. Perhaps, see Parkinson's disease information page.
 

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vitamin e overdose