Vitamin E and Vitamin D: Taking Both

Quick answer

Both are fat soluble, so a meal with some fat suits both, and the same medicines, such as orlistat and cholestyramine, cut the absorption of each. The adult limits are 1,000 mg of vitamin E from supplements and 100 mcg (4,000 IU) of vitamin D from all sources. Laboratory work suggests they compete for uptake.^1,2,3,4,5,6

Key facts

In a study of 5 adults, the share of a vitamin E dose absorbed rose from about 10% with a fat-free breakfast to 33% when about a fifth of the breakfast's calories came from fat.⁷
In human gut cells grown in the laboratory, vitamins D, E and K competed with one another for uptake.⁶
The vitamin E limit, 1,000 mg a day, counts supplements only. The vitamin D limit counts food as well.^4,5
Most once-daily multivitamins provide about 13.5 mg of vitamin E, close to the 15 mg adults need.⁴

What the two have in common

Vitamins D and E take the same road into the body. Like the other fat-soluble vitamins, they are packed with dietary fat into tiny droplets called micelles, with the help of bile and digestive enzymes, and then absorbed by the lining of the small intestine.^8,9

In a randomized study of 50 healthy older adults, one dose of vitamin D3 taken with a breakfast containing fat gave a 32% higher peak blood level of vitamin D3 than the same dose with a fat-free breakfast. The type of fat made no difference.¹⁰

In a study of 5 adults, the share of a labeled vitamin E dose absorbed was about 10% with a fat-free breakfast, 20% when 6% of the breakfast's calories came from fat, and 33% when 21% did.⁷

In a one-week study, 50 mg of vitamin E a day taken with a low-fat hot meal raised blood vitamin E about as much with 3 g of fat in the meal as with 36 g.¹¹

So the meal does not need to be rich. A little fat appeared to be enough for vitamin E, and for vitamin D any fat beat none.^10,11

Do they compete with each other?

A 2015 laboratory study is the main source on this question. In human gut cells grown in a dish, vitamins D, E and K competed with one another for uptake, which points to a shared way into the cells. The authors suggested that supplement makers take this into account.⁶

In the same study, mice absorbed vitamin D mostly in the middle part of the small intestine and vitamin E further down. No study in our sources has measured whether ordinary amounts of the two, taken together, change each other's blood levels in people.⁶

What each one does

The statements below come from our ingredient pages, each with its grade and the amount behind it.

Helps protect cells from oxidative stress*^1,4,12

Moderate evidence

This is a well-established nutrient function. NIH describes vitamin E as a fat-soluble antioxidant that stops the production of reactive oxygen species when fat is oxidized, and EU regulators permit the statement that vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress for foods that are at least a source of it. It describes a normal function, not a measured health outcome. Large trials of high-dose vitamin E supplements did not show the long-term health benefits that were hoped for.

Amount studied: The recommended intake: 15 mg a day for adults, from food and supplements together

Raises and maintains blood levels of vitamin D*^9,13

Strong evidence

In the VITAL trial, 2,000 IU a day raised average blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D from 29.8 to 41.8 ng/mL after one year among the 1,644 participants who had repeat blood tests, while levels on placebo barely changed. NIH notes that vitamin D3 raises blood levels more, and keeps them up longer, than vitamin D2.

Amount studied: 2,000 IU (50 mcg) of vitamin D3 a day

Adding up the amounts

Vitamin E and vitamin D for adults, per day^1,4,5,9
Per day, adults	Vitamin E	Vitamin D
Recommended amount	15 mg	15 mcg (600 IU), or 20 mcg (800 IU) from age 71
Upper limit	1,000 mg from supplements	100 mcg (4,000 IU) from all sources
Converting older IU labels	1 IU is 0.67 mg of natural or 0.45 mg of synthetic vitamin E	1 mcg is 40 IU

Most once-daily multivitamins provide about 13.5 mg of vitamin E, while vitamin E-only supplements commonly contain 67 mg or more, much more than the recommended amount.^1,4

What’s in ours

Men's Multi: Vitamin E, 13.5 mg per serving, from the label
Immune Support: Vitamin E, 15 mg per serving, from the label

What’s in ours

Vitamin D3: Vitamin D-3, 50 mcg (2,000 IU) per serving, from the label
Men's Multi: Vitamin D, 10 mcg per serving, from the label
Ashwagandha Complex: Vitamin D3, 20 mcg per serving, from the label
Immune Support: Vitamin D3, 40 mcg per serving, from the label

Two of our products contain both. Their vitamin E stays far below its limit, while their vitamin D needs counting, as the check below shows:

Our Vitamin D3 with our Immune Support

Vitamin D3 and Immune Support together provide 90 mcg of vitamin D a day. That is close to the 100 mcg upper limit for adults, which counts food as well. Most people do not need both.

Who should ask first

Ask your pharmacist or doctor first

Vitamin E can slow the clumping of platelets and work against the clotting factors that depend on vitamin K. Taking large doses with an anticoagulant or antiplatelet medicine, such as warfarin, can therefore increase the risk of bleeding, especially when vitamin K intake is low. NIH says the amount needed to cause a clinically significant effect is not known.^1,4

Expected from how the two work, not shown in studies

Ask your pharmacist or doctor first

Bile acid sequestrants such as cholestyramine can block the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamin D. The cholestyramine label lists low vitamin D among the effects of long-term use, and MedlinePlus lists vitamin D supplements among the products that interact with it.^3,14

On the medicine's label

The orlistat label says orlistat cut the absorption of a vitamin E acetate supplement by about 60%. It tells people taking orlistat to take a multivitamin with fat-soluble vitamins at least 2 hours before or after it, such as at bedtime.¹⁵

Ask first if you are considering 400 IU or more of vitamin E a day, or have a bleeding disorder.¹
Ask first if you have Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis or another condition that affects fat absorption. Both vitamins can run low, and a doctor may choose special forms or doses.^1,9
Ask first if you are having chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which NIH lists for vitamin E, or take a thiazide water pill, a statin or steroid tablets, which affect vitamin D.^1,5
Ask first if you have high blood calcium, kidney disease or kidney stones, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Questions people ask

Can you take vitamin E with vitamin D?

They often come in the same multivitamin, and NIH's fact sheets name no reason to keep them apart. The only evidence that they affect each other is laboratory work showing competition for uptake into gut cells, which has not been tested in people taking ordinary amounts.^4,5,6

Should vitamin E and vitamin D be spaced apart?

No study in our sources tested spacing them. The spacing advice that does exist is about orlistat: its label says to take a multivitamin with fat-soluble vitamins at least 2 hours before or after the medicine.^6,15

See what we make

Every product shows its whole label and what its lab report covers. The store opens soon.

See the Full Measure line Ashwagandha Complex Immune Support Men's Multi

Sources

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.