Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient that acts as an antioxidant, protecting your body's cells from damage by free radicals. It also boosts your immune system and help fight off viruses and bacteria. It keeps your blood vessels open to allow blood to flow through and prevent clotting. Other cells in your body interact with vitamin E to perform a variety of essential body functions. A variety of foods contain vitamin E naturally; other foods are fortified with it.
Vegetables
Green vegetables such as spinach, turnip and dandelion greens are excellent sources of vitamin E. Dandelion, spinach and turnip greens have between 1.8 and 2.9 milligrams of vitamin E per cooked half-cup, with spinach containing the highest amount, dandelion greens the lowest.
Nuts and Seeds
Some nuts and seeds are good sources of vitamin E. Dry-roasted sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, dry roasted mixed nuts, pine nuts, peanuts and Brazil nuts contain between 1.6 and 7.4 mg of vitamin E per ounce, with sunflower seeds containing the highest amount and Brazil nuts containing the lowest.
Oils
Vegetable and plant oils such as sunflower, cottonseed, safflower, canola, peanut, corn and olive oil all contain 1.9 to 5.6 mg of vitamin E per tablespoon, with sunflower oil containing the highest amount and olive oil containing the lowest.
Fish
Atlantic sardines, canned or cooked blue crab or Atlantic herring contain 1.5 to 1.7 mg of vitamin E per three-ounce serving, with sardines containing the highest amount and herring the lowest.
Other Foods
Other food sources of vitamin E include tomato paste, with 2.8 mg per quarter-cup; peanut butter, at 2.5 mg per two-tablespoon serving; tomato sauce or puree, at 2.5 mg per half-cup; wheat germ, with 2.3 mg per two-tablespoon serving; carrot juice, with 2.1 mg per ¾-cup; and raw avocado, at 2.1 mg per half.
Recommended Daily Amount
According to the National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements website, the recommended daily amount of vitamin E depends on your age. The recommended intake for healthy adults age 19 and over is 15 mg; 11 mg for those 14 to 18; 7 mg for children 9 to 13; 6 mg for children 1 to 3; 5 mg for infants 7 to 12 months; and 4 mg for infants from birth to 6 months.
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