Vitamin E

Vitamin E


This is one in a series of fact sheets containing information to help you select foods that provide adequate daily amounts of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber as you follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Guidelines are -

  • Eat a Variety of Foods
  • Maintain Desirable Weight
  • Avoid Too Much Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol
  • Eat Foods with Adequate Starch and Fiber
  • Avoid Too Much Sugar
  • Avoid Too Much Sodium
  • If You Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So in Moderation

WHAT IS MEANT BY A GOOD FOOD SOURCE?

A good food source of vitamin E contains a substantial amount of vitamin E in relation to its calorie content and contributes at least 10 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (U.S. RDA) for vitamin E in a selected serving size. The U.S. RDA for vitamin E is 10 milligrams per day. (The U.S. RDA given is for adults, except pregnant or lactating women) and children over 4 years of age.)
As you can see, in 1985 and 1986, 27 percent of the vitamin E in the diets of women came from grain products and 22 percent came from fruits and vegetables. Foods that contain small amounts of vitamin E but are not considered good sources can contribute significant amounts of vitamin E to an individual's diet if these foods are eaten often or in large amounts.

WHY DO WE NEED VITAMIN E?

Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin, protects vitamin A and essential fatty acids from oxidation in the body cells and prevents breakdown of body tissues.

DO WE GET ENOUGH VITAMIN E?

According to recent USDA surveys, the intake of vitamin E by women 19 to 50 years of age averaged less than 90 percent of the RDA. Men of the same age had intakes close to 100 percent of the RDA.

HOW CAN WE GET ENOUGH VITAMIN E?

Eating a variety of foods that contain vitamin E is the best way to get an adequate amount. Healthy individuals who eat a balanced diet rarely need supplements. The list of foods will help you select those that are good sources of vitamin E as you follow the Dietary Guidelines. The list of good sources was derived from the same nutritive value of foods tables used to analyze information for recent food consumption surveys of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service.

HOW TO PREPARE FOODS TO RETAIN VITAMIN E

Vitamin E can be lost from foods during cooking, processing, or storage. To retain vitamin E:

  • Use whole-grain flours
  • Store foods in airtight containers and avoid exposing them to light.

WHAT ABOUT FORTIFIED FOODS?

Most ready-to-eat cereals are fortified with vitamin E. Fortified ready-to-eat cereals usually contain at least 40 percent of the U.S. RDA for vitamin E. Since cereals vary, check the label on the package for the percentage of the U.S. RDA for a specific cereal.

WHAT IS A SERVING?

The serving sizes used on the list of good sources are only estimates of the amounts of food you might eat. The amount of nutrient in a serving depends on the weight of the serving. For example, 1/2 cup canned fruit contains more vitamin E than 1/2 cup of the same fruit served raw, because a serving of the canned fruit weighs more. Therefore, the canned fruit may appear on the list while the raw form does not. The raw fruit provides the nutrient -but just not enough in a 1/2-cup serving to be considered a good source.

FOOD SELECTED PERCENTAGE OF SERVING SIZE U.S. RDA (1)

BREAD, CEREALS, AND OTHER GRAIN PRODUCTS

Multigrain cereal, cooked 2/3 cup +
Ready-to-eat cereals, fortified(2) 1 ounce +++
Wheat germ, plain 2 tablespoons ++

FRUITS

Apple, baked, unsweetened 1 medium +
Apricots, canned, juice-pack 1/2 cup +
Nectarine, raw 1 medium +
Peaches, canned, juice-pack 1/2 cup +

VEGETABLES

Chard, cooked 1/2 cup +
Dandelion greens, cooked 1/2 cup +
Kohlrabi, cooked 1/2 cup +
Mustard greens, cooked 1/2 cup +
Pumpkin, cooked 1/2 cup +
Turnip greens, cooked 1/2 cup +

MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, AND ALTERNATES

Meat and Poultry
Liver, chicken, or turkey, braised 1/2 cup diced +

Fish and Seafood
Clams: steamed, boiled, or canned; drained 3 ounces +
Croaker, mackerel, mullet, or ocean perch; baked or broiled 3 ounces +
Mackerel, canned, drained 3 ounces +
Salmon:
Baked, broiled, steamed, or poached 3 ounces +
Scallops, baked or broiled 3 ounces +
Shrimp:
Broiled, steamed or boiled 3 ounces ++
Canned, drained 3 ounces +

Nuts and Seeds

Almonds, unroasted 2 tablespoons +++
Brazil nuts 2 tablespoons +
Filberts (hazelnuts) 2 tablespoons +++
Peanuts, roasted or dry-roasted 2 tablespoons +
Peanut butter 2 tablespoons ++
Sunflower seeds, hulled, roasted or dry-roasted 2 tablespoons +++

(1) A selected serving size contains -

+ 10-24 percent of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age

++ 25-39 percent of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age

+++ 40 percent or more of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age

(2) See section on fortified foods. January 1990

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