E vitamin, antioxidant

Vitamin E helps maintain healthy skin and eyes and strengthens the body's natural defenses against disease and infection (immune system).

Good sources of vitamin E

Vitamin E is a group of compounds found in a wide variety of foods.

Good resources include:

• vegetable oils - such as rapeseed (vegetable oil), sunflower, soybean, corn and olive oil
• nuts and seeds
• wheat germ - found in cereals and cereal products

How much vitamin E do I need?

The amount of vitamin E you need is:

• 4 mg daily for men
• 3 mg daily for women

You should get all the vitamin E you need from your diet.

Vitamin E, which your body doesn't need right away, is stored for future use, so you don't need it in your diet every day.

What happens if I take too much vitamin E?

There is not enough evidence to know what the effects of daily high-dose vitamin E supplements might be.

What does the Ministry of Health and the profession advise?

You should get the amount of vitamin E you need from a varied and balanced diet.

If you are taking vitamin E supplements, do not take too much, as this could be harmful to your health.

Taking 540 mg (800 IU) or less of vitamin E supplements a day will not cause harm.