Foods containing vitamin E

Which foods contain vitamin E?

The table of the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements gives the amount of α-tocopherol (mg) in a standard serving of selected foods and its percentage of the Daily Value (DV; 15 mg for adults and children over 4) used on labels in the US. The same source counts foods providing 20% or more of the Daily Value as high sources. ^[1]

The table is an indicator of order of magnitude, not a shopping list; a US cup is about 240 mL, and the values show only α-tocopherol. According to the NIH, most of the vitamin E in US diets is in the form of gamma-tocopherol from soybean, canola, corn, and other vegetable oils; the table does not include this form. ^[1]

The most striking finding in the table is the difference among vegetable oils and the per-serving contribution of nuts: 1 tablespoon of wheat germ oil provides 20.3 mg, while the same volume of soybean oil provides 1.1 mg. In green leafy vegetables and fruits, the amount per serving is lower.

How much vitamin E is in hazelnuts in Türkiye?

In the NIH table, 28 g of dry-roasted hazelnuts provides 4.3 mg of α-tocopherol. ^[1] Direct data for Türkiye come from the study by Taş and Gökmen examining 14 hazelnut varieties grown in Türkiye in the 2013 and 2014 harvests. In this study, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-tocopherol were found in all varieties, and delta-tocopherol was not found; α-tocopherol is the most abundant tocopherol form. ^[3]

The amount varied markedly by variety and harvest year. In the 2013 harvest, α-tocopherol ranged between 16.5 mg (Kan variety) and 36.3 mg (Tombul) per 100 g of oil; in the 2014 harvest, it ranged between 9.56 mg (Sivri) and 17.3 mg (Kalınkara) per 100 g of oil. ^[3] These values are reported not for the hazelnut itself but for the oil extracted from it; for this reason they cannot be directly scaled and compared with the NIH’s per-serving value. The study shows that the same variety may carry different amounts between years and that varieties differ from each other; it does not give an exact per-serving value for Turkish hazelnuts.

How much of the daily requirement do foods meet?

The US reference reported by the NIH (RDA) is 15 mg for ages 14 and over, and EFSA’s adequate intake (AI) value is 13 mg for adult men and 11 mg for women. ^{[1] [2]} Compared with these references, one serving of almonds (6.8 mg) or sunflower seeds (7.4 mg) in the table corresponds to about half of the 15 mg RDA; one serving of raw spinach (0.6 mg), however, to much less.

The NIH reports that three national surveys in the US (NHANES III, NHANES 2001–2002, and CSFII 1994–1996) show that most Americans’ diets provide less vitamin E than the RDA; however, because the amount and type of fats added in cooking are not known, the estimates may have been low. The FNB considers that the mean intake of healthy adults is most likely above the RDA, but warns that low-fat diets may provide insufficient vitamin E if attention is not paid to food choice. No obvious signs of deficiency have been detected in healthy people who consume little vitamin E from food. ^[1] These data are from the US; the intake of adults in Türkiye cannot be inferred from these data.

The NIH also reports that no adverse effects have been associated with vitamin E intake from foods; concerns are discussed only for high-dose supplements. ^[1] The supplement discussion is covered in the vitamin E main guide.

How is vitamin E written on a food label?

According to the NIH, on food labels in the US the amount of vitamin E is not required to be listed unless vitamin E has been added to the food. The amount on labels is given in milligrams (mg); 1 mg of vitamin E corresponds to 1 mg of natural (RRR) α-tocopherol or 2 mg of synthetic (all-rac) α-tocopherol. α-Tocopherol in fortified foods and supplements is often esterified to extend shelf life; the body absorbs these esters as effectively as α-tocopherol. ^[1] This information describes US labeling rules; how the values on product labels in Türkiye are calculated cannot be inferred from this source.

Does vitamin E need fat to be absorbed?

The NIH reports that the digestive tract needs fat to absorb vitamin E and that, for this reason, deficiency is more likely in people with fat malabsorption. ^[1]

Do cooking and oil degradation affect vitamin E?

According to the NIH, vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that stops the production of reactive oxygen species formed when fats oxidize. ^[1] In the experiment by Li and colleagues, the oil’s own tocopherol and tocotrienol content decreased as instant noodles were repeatedly fried in palm oil; adding tea polyphenols or the synthetic antioxidant TBHQ reduced these losses and the degradation of the oil. ^[4] This is an industrial-type, repeated (batch) frying study; it does not give a loss rate for home cooking in a shallow pan, boiling, or raw consumption.