Sources of Vitamin E

Vitamin E Sources

Sources of Vitamin E...

The United States government estimates that 68% of men and 71% of women don't get enough vitamin E in their diets. That means that more than half of the people reading this right now are not getting the amount of vitamin E that nutrition experts believe their bodies need.

Part of the reason may be that while there are many Vitamin E sources, there are relatively few GOOD food sources of vitamin E - sources that provide 10% or more of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin E.

The recommended daily allowance of Vitamin E for a healthy adult is 15 mgs. That increases to 19 mgs for a nursing mother to account for her increased needs for all viatmins.

While there are many vitamin E sources, it's generally found in relatively small amounts, and is in foods that many people don't eat often.

In addition, vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin, and is found most in the fatty part of foods. With the increased emphasis on low-fat diets, many people are cutting down on the best vitamin E sources in their diets. Keeping all that in mind, what foods should you be eating to make sure you get enough vitamin E in your diet?

According to the FDA, good food sources of vitamin E provide 10-19% of the daily value recommended for vitamin E in a single serving. High Vitamin E sources provide more than 20%. And it's a low source if a single serving provides less than 5% of the daily value of Vitamin E recommended by the FDA.

Using those guidelines, here's a list of common sources of this Vitamin:

GOOD SOURCES

Many vegetable oils are good sources of this vitamin. The list below rates them from highest to lowest. Serving size for each is one tablespoon.

• Wheat germ oil 100%
• Sunflower oil 30%
• Safflower oil 25%
• Corn oil 10%
• Soybean oil 6%

Suggestions: Try using these oils in salad dressings, or cook with them. Be aware though, that prolonged cooking at high temperatures may destroy the vitamin.

Besides oils, the following nuts are all significant food sources of vitamin E. Serving size for all is 1 ounce, dry roasted.

• Almonds 40%
• Sunflower seed kernels 30%
• Hazelnuts 25%
• Peanuts 10%

Leafy, dark green vegetables are also good sources of vitamin E, though not as significant as nuts and vegetable oils. Serving sizes are noted for each.

• Sweet Potato, 1 med, baked 20%
• Avocado, 1/2 cup mashed 15%
• Spinach, cooked, chopped, 1/2 cup 6%
• Spinach, raw, 1 cup 4%
• Broccoli, chopped, boiled, 1/2 cup 6%

There are protein sources of this vitamin as well. While most animal products aren't significant sources of vitamin E, there are a few exceptions.

• Eggs, 1 yolk 5%
• Tuna, canned in oil 6%
• Salmon, canned 6%

People who are on low-fat diets, or who have a condition that interferes with their absorption of fat, may need to add alternative sources of vitamin E to their diets, such as supplements.

It's also important that the vitamin E supplement chosen contain a full-spectrum vitamin E rather than one or two forms of the vitamin.

For more information on how important this is, and the supplement we here ourselves take at Nutritional Supplement Info, click here for more information on choosing a quality vitamin E supplement.