Vitamin E
(Tocopherol)

Vitamin E is an essential antioxidant for our body. Scientific studies are showing links between low levels of this vitamin with disease such as acne, Alzheimer's disease and infertility.

Table of Contents

Evidence of Benefits (Leaf Rating System)

	Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) When this vitamin is taken in combination with zinc, beta-carotene and vitamin C, it reduces the risk of vision loss by 27% in those people already suffering from AMD. However, taking this vitamin doesn't seem to prevent a person for developing AMD.
	Alzheimer's Disease (AD) For those people suffering from moderately severe AD, taking 2,000 IU of this vitamin seems to be effective in slowing down the disease. Unfortunately, it does not slow down the progression of mild AD to severe AD. Recent animal studies suggest that low levels of vitamin E might increase amyloid beta deposits in the brain, thus worsening Alzheimer's disease.
	Dysmenorrhea (Painful Menstruation) One study support using this vitamin to reduce the pain and length of time of the pain from dysmenorrhea. It also reduced the amount of bleeding as well. The study used 200 IU two times daily starting 2 days before menstruation and continuing for 5 days.
	Male Infertility Several clinical studies show that this vitamin increases the fertilization rate up to 30%. It is believed that the antioxidant properties of this vitamin were in part responsible for this benefit. Antioxidants seem to protect the quality of the sperm and to maintain their mobility.
	Dementia A study revealed that taking vitamin E along with vitamin C seems to help reduce the risk of getting dementia, but not Alzheimer's type dementia.
	Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Clinical studies seem to support the fact that using vitamin E helps to reduce anxiety and depression in those women suffering from PMS.
	Menopause Symptoms Many studies (but not all) show that taking 800 IU daily of this vitamin helped in reducing symptoms of menopause. Experts suggest trying it for 3 months to see if symptoms are reduced. It it works, continue taking it at this dose.
	Wound healing (in burn patients) A study done in children shows that taking this vitamin along with vitamin C and zinc helps wound heal faster.
	Photo aging (Skin Damage) Products containing vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin B3 are somewhat effective for the treatment of photo aging and other skin conditions like acne. It also seem to help prevent sunburns and act as a sunscreen.
	Acne On study showed people suffering from acne condition have lower blood levels of vitamin E and vitamin A. The researchers suggest taking these two vitamins to reduce the severity of the acne condition.
	Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) One study showed combing this vitamin with conventional treatment is better than just the treatment alone in reducing pain.
	Parkinson's Disease (PD) Some clinical studies show this vitamin seems to lower the risk of getting PD. However, the evidence is not very strong. There are also studies that showed no benefit from taking this vitamin for treating PD.
	Cancer of the Bladder The risk of dying from bladder cancer seems to be reduced with taking 200 IU of this vitamin for longer than ten years.
	Pre-eclampsia 400 IU of vitamin E combined with 1 gram of vitamin C seems to modestly reduce high blood pressure during pregnancy.
	Antioxidant Benefits It is well established that this vitamin has potent antioxidant properties. Animal and lab studies suggest it can help protect the cells from free-radical damage. Unfortunately, the results from these studies do not directly translate to similar benefits in humans.
	Hair Growth One study was done in rabbits given anticancer drugs (that caused hair loss) to see what happens when their diet is deficient in this essential vitamin. The results showed that without this vitamin, hair growth was significantly slower than those rabbits fed a diet with sufficient amount of vitamin E.
Helpful	Diabetes Population studies show that people suffering from diabetes seem to have lower levels of this vitamin in their system. Experts believe low levels might increase a person's risk of developing diabetes. It also enhances the effect of insulin.
	High Cholesterol - Probably Not Effective Clinical studies don't seem to show any benefit of taking vitamin E on cholesterol levels. Click here to find out what other natural remedies you can use that will help treat high cholesterol problems.
	Osteoarthritis (OA) - Probably Not Effective Clinical studies showed that this vitamin did not have any benefit in reducing pain or improving the quality of the joint in those suffering from OA.
	Cardiovascular Disease - Probably Not Effective It is believed by many people that taking a higher dose of this vitamin will help prevent heart disease. However, many large well-designed studies showed that it did not make a significant difference.
	Treatment of Scars - Probably Not Effective Clinical studies show that applying vitamin E oil to the scars doesn't fade them. Click here to read about this.
	Stroke Prevention - Probably Not Effective Results from the Women's Health Study showed that taking this vitamin did not reduce the risk of stroke.
	Asthma - Probably Not Effective Clinical studies show that taking this vitamin doesn't improve a person's asthma condition.
	Atherosclerosis - Conflicting results Population studies seem to show that having more of this vitamin from diet seems to reduce heart disease. However, two major and well-designed clinical studies showed opposite results. One showed significant benefits and the other showed it didn't make any different. Experts are still debating this issue.
	Cancer Prevention - Unknown at time Although experts suggests that this vitamin may help with preventing cancer from developing, there isn't any studies done to prove this benefit.

Suggested Benefits and Traditional Uses

• acne
• aged-related macular degeneration (AMD)
• allergies and hay fever
• altitude sickness
• Alzheimer's disease (AD)
• angina (chest pain)
• anti-aging
• antioxidant benefits
• asthma
• atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
• cancer treatment and prevention
• chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
• congestive heart failure (CHF)
• dementia
• diabetes
• dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation)
• enhancing energy and vitality
• enhancing physical performance
• heart attack prevention
• heart disease
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• impotence (erectile dysfunction or ED)
• infertility in males
• intermittent claudication
• menopause symptoms
• osteoarthritis (OA)
• Parkinson's Disease (PD)
• pre-eclampsia
• premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• prevention of heart disease
• prostate cancer prevention
• restless leg syndrome
• rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• scar treatment
• stroke prevention
• sunburns
• tardive dyskinesia
• wound healing
• yeast infections

Facts and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is vitamin E?

How do I know if I have a deficiency in vitamin E?

What are some foods high in vitamin E?

Side Effects, Toxicity and Warnings

What are some side effects of taking vitamin E?

What can I expect if I take too much or overdose on vitamin E?

What are some long-term dangers of taking too much of vitamin E?

Dosage & How to Take It