Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protect the cells in your body from damage. This nutrient is also involved in maintaining the normal function of your immune system and ensuring that your cells can communicate with each other. The amount of vitamin E you need each day predominantly depends upon your age and gender. Men who have questions about their daily vitamin E requirement should consult their medical provider for additional guidance.
Recommended Daily Intake
Healthy men ages 14 and older should get 15 mg -- or 22.4 IU -- of vitamin E each day, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Typically, vitamin E supplements are unnecessary as men get enough of this nutrient from their daily diets. If your doctor has diagnosed you with a vitamin E deficiency, he may suggest the use of vitamin E supplements. In such cases, the amount of vitamin E you need daily is at the discretion of your doctor.
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels
Vitamin E is fat-soluble, which means it gets stored in your body for prolonged periods of time. For this reason, taking too much vitamin E may cause vitamin E toxicity. To avoid developing vitamin E toxicity, men ages 19 and older should not consume more than 1,000 mg, or 1,500 IU, of vitamin E each day. The full effects of vitamin E toxicity are unclear. However, the accumulation of excess vitamin E in your body may increase your risk of developing bleeding complications.
Dietary Sources of Vitamin E
Vitamin E is naturally found in a variety of fruits, vegetables and nuts. In fact, just 1 oz. of dry roasted almonds provides approximately half, or 7.4 mg, of vitamin E. Additional dietary sources of vitamin E include peanuts, spinach, kiwifruit, wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, corn, safflower oil and broccoli. If you find it difficult to include these vitamin E-rich foods as a part of your regular diet, you may want to consider adding a vitamin E supplement to your daily regimen.
Vitamin E Supplement Safety
When used as directed, vitamin E supplements are generally well tolerated. Infrequently, people who take vitamin E may experience side effects of diarrhea, nausea, abdominal discomfort or flu-like symptoms. Such side effects are more often associated with high doses of vitamin E. Treatment with vitamin E supplements may be inappropriate if you are taking other medications. Vitamin E supplements may interact with antidepressants, antipsychotics, beta-blockers, warfarin, cyclosporine, chemotherapy drugs and tamoxifen.
References
- Office of Dietary Supplements; Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin E; December 2009
- MedlinePlus; Vitamin E; Dr. Linda Vorvick; March 2009
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University; Vitamin E; Dr. Victoria J. Drake; June 2008
- MayoClinic.com: Vitamin E; December 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin E; Steven D. Ehrlich; December 2009
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