Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant. Deficiency is rare in healthy adults.
Calculator Official intake Study doses Best form Safety Sources
AI (adequate intake)
| Men | 13 mg |
|---|---|
| Women | 11 mg |
| Pregnancy | 11 mg |
| Breastfeeding | 11 mg |
Safe upper limit: 300 mg a day
EFSA is reviewing this safe limit.
Source: EFSA NDA Panel 2015 · EFSA 2025
RDA (recommended dietary allowance)
| Men | 15 mg |
|---|---|
| Women | 15 mg |
| Pregnancy | 15 mg |
| Breastfeeding | 19 mg |
Safe upper limit: 1,000 mg a day
Safe limit applies to any form of supplemental alpha-tocopherol.
Source: National Academies (NASEM) 2019
mg alpha-tocopherol.
These are doses tested in research, not personal advice. Some exceed the upper limit because they were short courses or given under medical care.
180 mg a day
SELECT gave 35,000 healthy men 400 IU synthetic vitamin E (about 180 mg) a day. Instead of preventing it, vitamin E alone raised prostate cancer risk by about 17%.
536 mg a day
PIVENS: 800 IU natural vitamin E a day (about 536 mg) for 96 weeks improved liver biopsies in 43% of people vs 19% on placebo. This is a supervised treatment dose, well above the EFSA safe limit, for diagnosed NASH only.
Best form
Natural (d-alpha-tocopherol)
Why: Natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol, RRR) is about twice as active per mg as the synthetic dl-form, so 1 IU natural is 0.67 mg and 1 IU synthetic is 0.45 mg.
Alternatives: For most people, food (oils, nuts, seeds) covers vitamin E; high-dose pills have shown harm in some trials.
Vegetable oils (sunflower, wheat germ), nuts, seeds.
High doses may add to bleeding risk with blood thinners.
IU depends on the form: 1 IU = 0.67 mg natural or 0.45 mg synthetic. Pick the form so the maths is right.
Pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication, or managing a health condition? Check with a doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement.
Values checked: November 12, 2026.
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