Considering the fact that vitamin E occurs in plant oils in eight different forms and that it is difficult at the current time to find supplements that mimic nature, the argument for obtaining vitamin E from food is strong. Food sources of vitamin E are primarily plant oils like corn, soy, canola, and so forth. Wheat germ is also a source of vitamin E, as are nuts. Although it is easy for those on diets including these foods to consume the levels of vitamin E to avoid deficiency, getting the levels used in research is another matter. To consume even 100 IU would require more than 2 cups of wheat germ or 5 cups of peanuts. Few would argue that supplementing the diet with vitamin E is the only practical way to consume protective amounts.

Although many perceive vitamin E supplementation to be a no-brainer, some still advise caution. The American Heart Association, in its official statement, does not recommend vitamin E supplementation on a population-wide basis because of the lack of data on safety and efficacy. Instead, they encourage the consumption of a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

However, the crux of the matter is that it is impractical to suggest that one can obtain the protective levels of vitamin E from dietary sources, unless one has a penchant for mountains of mayonnaise and margarine. And so for those who are not willing to wait until the last piece of data is in, based on what we know now, supplementation with vitamin E poses benefit and little, if any, risk. Eating a wide variety of foods to get as much of the different forms of vitamin E has merit. But to achieve the levels shown to be protective in research, additional supplementation with natural forms of alpha-tocopherol or ideally with supplements that provide the mix of natural tocopherols and tocotrienols makes sense.


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