Natural sources of vitamin E

What is vitamin E ?

Vitamin E is found naturally in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. "Vitamin E" is the collective name for a group of fat-soluble compounds with distinctive antioxidant activities [1].

Naturally occurring vitamin E exists in eight chemical forms (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol and alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocotrienol) that have varying levels of biological activity [1]. Alpha- (or a-) tocopherol is the only form that is recognized to meet human requirements.

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Vitamin E (Alpha-Tocopherol)

Age Males Females  Pregnancy Lactation
0–6 months* 4 mg(6IU)        4mg  (6IU)                                                                                                                                           
7–12 months* 5 mg(7.5 IU) 5 mg(7.5 IU)

1–3 years   6 mg(9 IU) 6 mg(9 IU)

4–8 years        7 mg (10.4 IU) 7 mg(10.4 IU)

9–13 years 11 mg(16.4 IU) 11 mg(16.4 IU)

14+ years        15 mg(22.4 IU)  15 mg(22.4 IU) 15 mg(22.4 IU) 19 mg(28.4 IU)

*Adequate Intake (AI)

Sources of Vitamin E

Food
Numerous foods provide vitamin E. Nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils are among the best sources of alpha-tocopherol, and significant amounts are available in green leafy vegetables and fortified cereals (see Table 2 for a more detailed list). Most vitamin E in American diets is in the form of gamma-tocopherol from soybean, canola, corn, and other vegetable oils and food products .

Selected Food Sources of Vitamin E (Alpha-Tocopherol)

Food Milligrams (mg)                 per serving Percent DV*
Wheat germ oil, 1 tablespoon                  20.3         100
Sunflower seeds, dry roasted,1 ounce   7.4                 37
Almonds, dry roasted, 1 ounce                   6.8                 34
Sunflower oil, 1 tablespoon                  5.6                 28
Safflower oil, 1 tablespoon                         4.6         25
Hazelnuts, dry roasted, 1 ounce              4.3                 22
Peanut butter, 2 tablespoons                   2.9                 15
Peanuts, dry roasted, 1 ounce                   2.2                 11
Corn oil, 1 tablespoon                           1.9                 10
Spinach, boiled, ½ cup                           1.9                 10
Broccoli, chopped, boiled, ½ cup           1.2                  6
Soybean oil, 1 tablespoon                           1.1                  6
Kiwifruit, 1 medium                                   1.1                  6
Mango, sliced, ½ cup                           0.7                  4
Tomato, raw, 1 medium                           0.7                  4
Spinach, raw, 1 cup                                   0.6                  3

Vitamin E & healthfull diets:
Here are fifteen foods with vitamin E that you should strongly consider adding to your diet.

1. Almonds

Almonds are one the best vitamin E foods. Just an ounce of almonds offers a whopping 7.4 milligrams of vitamin E. You can also get your vitamin E needs in the form of almond milk and almond oils. We would recommend eating raw almonds, if possible.

Sunflower Seeds have lots of Vitamin E

2. Raw Seeds

Select raw seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame, are another common food with vitamin E. In fact, eating just ¼ of a cup of sunflower seeds gives you 90.5% of your recommended daily value, making them one of the best vitamin E foods you can eat daily.

3. Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is easily one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat on a daily basis. Commonly known to be high in vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin C, Swiss chard is another food high in vitamin E. Just one cup of boiled swiss chard greens will provide you with almost 17% of your daily recommended values.

4. Mustard Greens

Similar to swiss chard, mustard greens are very nutrient dense and will provide a variety of health benefits. Not only are they one of the best vitamin E foods, but mustard greens are also high in vitamin K, vitamin A, folate, and vitamin c. Eating just one cup of boiled mustard greens contains about 14% of your daily dietary requirements. We would recommend eating organic mustard greens, if possible.

5. Spinach

Spinach may not be your favorite veggie, but it is one of the best leafy greens you can add to your diet. Not only is it one of the best calcium foods and naturally high in folate, it’s also one of the best vitamin E foods as well. Just one cup of boiled spinach will provide you with approximately 20% of your daily needs. Try adding fresh spinach to your sandwiches to make them extra healthy.

6. Turnip Greens

While turnip greens may have a slightly bitter taste, they are very high in many essential nutrients. Like the rest of the leafy greens on this list, just one cup will provide you with plenty of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate. Not to mention approximately 12% of your daily requirements of vitamin E.

7. Kale

Kale is another great cruciferous vegetable you should eat as often as possible. Kale is very high in many nutrients, in fact, just one cup of boiled kale can give you almost 6% of your daily vitamin E requirements. We would recommend eating organic kale, if possible.

8. Plant oils

Most plant seed oils are very good sources for Vitamin E as well. The best oil with vitamin E is Wheat germ oil. In fact, one tablespoon of this oil holds 100% of your daily Vitamin E requirements. Sunflower oil is another excellent option, as it provides over 5 mg of the vitamin, and can easily be be used for cooking. Other great Vitamin-E-rich oils include hempseed oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil (with almost 5 mg of vitamin E), olive oil and safflower oil. We would recommend only buying oils that are cold pressed unrefined and organic.

9. Hazelnuts

A perfect snack during a long workday, eating just one ounce of hazelnuts can provide you with approximately 20% of our daily requirements of vitamin E. For an alternative to eating nuts, try drinking hazelnut milk in your morning coffee instead of milk or flavored creamer.

10. Pine Nuts

Add an ounce of these nuts to anything you please! One serving contains 2.6 mg of vitamin E. You can also use pine nut oil for added health benefits.

11. Avocado

Perhaps one of the tastiest foods with Vitamin E, avocados represent natures creamiest, oil-rich food. Just half of an avocado holds more than 2 mg of vitamin E. Avocados are very easy to incorporate into your diet. We would recommend adding sliced avocados to your salad, a sandwich, or mashed up as guacamole!

12. Broccoli

For generations now, broccoli has been considered one of the best detox foods, but it’s also one of the healthiest foods high in Vitamin E. Just one cup of steamed broccoli will provide you with 4% of your daily requirements. Broccoli may not be as nutrient dense as other Vitamin E foods on this list, but it is definitely one of the healthiest foods you can eat daily.

13. Parsley

An excellent spice, parsley is another great Vitamin E food. Try adding fresh parsley to salads and dishes for an extra Vitamin-E kick. Dried parsley will also provide you with this important vitamin, but the fresher the better.

14. Papaya

This popular fruit is most commonly known as one of the best vitamin C foods, but it’s also high in Vitamin E. Just one papaya will give you approximately 17% of your daily needs. Try adding fresh or frozen papaya to fruit smoothies, along with other fruity vitamin E foods on this list for an extra healthy snack!

15. Olives

From the oil to the fruit, eating olives is an excellent way of getting your daily needs for vitamin E. Just one cup of olives can give you approximately 20% of your daily recommended amount.


These are just a few examples of foods with vitamin E. There are plenty more that aren’t listed here.