Vitamin E (Systemic)

Brand Names : Amino-Opti-E, Aquasol E, E-Complex-600, E-200 I.U. Softgels, E-1000 I.U. Softgels, E-400 I.U. in a Water Soluble Base, E-Vitamin Succinate, Liqui-E, Pheryl-E, Vita Plus E, Webber Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol

Category

• Nutritional supplement, vitamin

Description

Vitamins (VYE-ta-mins) are compounds that you must have for growth and health. They are needed in only small amounts and are available in the foods that you eat. Vitamin E prevents a chemical reaction called oxidation, which can sometimes result in harmful effects in your body. It is also important for the proper function of nerves and muscles.

Some conditions may increase your need for vitamin E. These include:

• Intestine disease
• Liver disease
• Pancreas disease
• Surgical removal of stomach

Increased need for vitamin E should be determined by your health care professional.

Infants who are receiving a formula that is not fortified with vitamin E may be likely to have a vitamin E deficiency. Also, diets high in polyunsaturated fatty acids may increase your need for vitamin E.

Claims that vitamin E is effective for treatment of cancer and for prevention or treatment of acne, aging, loss of hair, bee stings, liver spots on the hands, bursitis, diaper rash, frostbite, stomach ulcer, heart attacks, labor pains, certain blood diseases, miscarriage, muscular dystrophy, poor posture, sexual impotence, sterility, infertility, menopause, sunburn, and lung damage from air pollution have not been proven. Although vitamin E is being used to prevent certain types of cancer, there is not enough information to show that this is effective.

Lack of vitamin E is extremely rare, except in people who have a disease in which it is not absorbed into the body.

Vitamin E is available without a prescription in the following dosage forms:

Oral
• Capsules (U.S. and Canada)
• Oral solution (U.S. and Canada)
• Tablets (U.S.)
• Chewable tablets (U.S.)

Importance of Diet

Vitamin E is found in various foods including vegetable oils (corn, cottonseed, soybean, safflower), wheat germ, whole-grain cereals, and green leafy vegetables. Cooking and storage may destroy some of the vitamin E in foods.

Vitamin supplements alone will not take the place of a good diet and will not provide energy. Your body also needs other substances found in food such as protein, minerals, carbohydrates, and fat. Vitamins themselves often cannot work without the presence of other foods. For example, small amounts of fat are needed so that vitamin E can be absorbed into the body.

The daily amount of vitamin E needed is defined in several different ways.

For U.S. -
• Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are the amount of vitamins and minerals needed to provide for adequate nutrition in most healthy persons. RDAs for a given nutrient may vary depending on a person's age, sex, and physical condition (e.g., pregnancy).
• Daily Values (DVs) are used on food and dietary supplement labels to indicate the percent of the recommended daily amount of each nutrient that a serving provides. DV replaces the previous designation of United States Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDAs).

For Canada -
• Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) are used to determine the amounts of vitamins, minerals, and protein needed to provide adequate nutrition and lessen the risk of chronic disease.

Vitamin E is available in various forms, including d - or dl -alpha tocopheryl acetate, d - or dl -alpha tocopherol, and d - or dl -alpha tocopheryl acid succinate. In the past, the RDA for vitamin E have been expressed in Units. This term has been replaced by alpha tocopherol equivalents (alpha-TE) or milligrams (mg) of d -alpha tocopherol. One Unit is equivalent to 1 mg of dl -alpha tocopherol acetate or 0.6 mg d -alpha tocopherol. Most products available in stores continue to be labeled in Units.

Normal daily recommended intakes in milligrams (mg) of alpha tocopherol equivalents (mg alpha-TE) and Units for vitamin E are generally defined as follows:

Persons	U.S.		Canada
	mg alpha-TE	Units	mg alpha-TE	Units
Infants and children Birth to 3 years of age	3-6	5-10	3-4	5-6.7
4 to 6 years of age	7	11.7	5	8.3
7 to 10 years of age	7	11.7	6-8	10-13
Adolescent and adult males	10	16.7	6-10	10-16.7
Adolescent and adult females	8	13	5-7	8.3-11.7
Pregnant females	10	16.7	8-9	13-15
Breast-feeding females	11-12	18-20	9-10	15-16.7

Brand Names

Some commonly used brand names are:

In the U.S. -

• Amino-Opti-E
• Aquasol E
• E-Complex-600
• E-200 I.U. Softgels
• E-1000 I.U. Softgels
• E-400 I.U. in a Water Soluble Base
• E-Vitamin Succinate
• Liqui-E
• Pheryl-E
• Vita Plus E

In Canada -

• Aquasol E
• Webber Vitamin E

Generic name product may be available in the U.S. and Canada.

Another commonly used name is alpha tocopherol .