Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that it requires fat for maximum absorption and any amount consumed in excess is stored in the liver. It primarily functions as an antioxidant, protecting your cells from free radicals and decreasing your risk of heart disease and cancer. It is also needed in adequate quantities to support immune health. While vitamin E deficiency is rare, it can occur. Knowing what happens to the body with poor intakes of vitamin E may help you determine if you are getting enough.
Deficiency
Most Americans consume less than the recommended dietary allowances of vitamin E, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. This may be partly due to the emphasis on low-fat diets. Inadequate intakes of vitamin E can cause peripheral neuropathy, poor muscle coordination, muscle weakness, retinopathy and an impaired immune system. These symptoms, however, are most commonly seen in people with fat malabsorption, such as cystic fibrosis or Crohn's disease. Premature infants with a low birth weight are also at risk of vitamin E deficiency, which increases their risk of infection.
Recommendations
To prevent deficiencies, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has established recommended dietary allowances. The recommendations are based on serum levels of vitamin E shown to protect cells from free radicals. Recommendations vary depending on your age. Infants 0 to 6 months require 4 mg of vitamin E a day, and 7 to 12 months need 5 mg. Children 1 to 3 years need 6 mg of vitamin E a day, 4 to 8 years need 7 mg and 9 to 13 years need 11 mg. Everyone 14 years and older needs 15 mg of vitamin E a day.
Food Sources
You can find vitamin E in a number of foods, but nuts, seeds and oils are your best sources. One tablespoon of wheat germ contains 20 mg of vitamin E, meeting more than 100 percent of your recommended dietary allowance. A 1 oz. serving of sunflower seeds contains 7.4 mg, and 1 oz. of almonds 6.8 mg. Safflower oil contains 4.6 mg of vitamin E per tablespoon. Some vegetables also contain small amounts of vitamin E. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked spinach contains 1.9 mg, and the same serving of cooked broccoli has 1.2 mg.
Considerations
While it is important to get enough vitamin E in your diet to protect your cells from oxidation, adding supplements to your diet to enhance the effects may not be beneficial, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Supplementing your diet with vitamin E has not been shown to lower your risk of either cancer or heart disease.
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