Quick answer

Women need 15 mg of vitamin E a day at any adult age, the same as men, and 19 mg while breastfeeding. In the largest trial in women, almost 40,000 were assigned to 600 IU every other day or a placebo for about 10 years, and the main long-term health outcome did not differ.^1,2

Key facts

Breastfeeding is the only time a woman's need rises, from 15 mg to 19 mg a day.¹
In 21 trials with 22,129 pregnant women, vitamin E given mostly with vitamin C did not clearly change most outcomes for mother or baby.³
Vitamin E-only supplements commonly contain 67 mg or more, over four times what a woman needs.²
People who reacted to vitamin E in patch tests were more often women, and the usual source was a moisturizer.⁴

How much women need

Vitamin E for girls and women, in mg a day²
Life stage	Recommended	Upper limit, supplements
Girls 9 to 13	11	600
Girls 14 to 18	15	800
Women 19 and older	15	1,000
Pregnant, 14 to 18	15	800
Pregnant, 19 and older	15	1,000
Breastfeeding, 14 to 18	19	800
Breastfeeding, 19 and older	19	1,000

Over 40, 50 and 60, the recommended amount stays at 15 mg a day. NIH gives a single figure for everyone from age 14, and pregnancy does not change it.²

What the evidence shows

These graded statements apply to women and men alike. Neither depends on taking more than the recommended amount.

Helps protect cells from oxidative stress*^1,2,5

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

Helps you reach the recommended daily vitamin E intake*^1,2,6

Moderate evidence

National surveys have found that the diets of most Americans provide less vitamin E than the recommended 15 mg a day, although the estimates may be low because fats added in cooking are often not counted, and clear signs of a shortage are very rare in healthy people. In a study of 90,771 adults, vitamins A and E and zinc were the nutrients whose intakes rose most when multivitamins were counted. A typical once-daily multivitamin supplies about 13.5 mg.

Amount studied: Recommended intake: 15 mg a day for adults and 19 mg while breastfeeding, from all sources

Large trials in women

The Women's Health Study randomly assigned almost 40,000 healthy women aged 45 and over to 600 IU of natural vitamin E (402 mg) every other day or a placebo, and followed them for about 10 years. The trial's main combined outcome did not differ between the groups.²

A trial in mostly healthy older women, using the same dose for up to 4 years, found no effect on memory and thinking tests.²

Both trials used about 13 times the recommended daily amount, averaged over two days, so they say little about the 15 mg women need.²

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and trying to conceive

In a review of 21 trials with 22,129 pregnant women, vitamin E taken with vitamin C or other supplements was linked to more self-reported abdominal pain and more term prelabour rupture of the membranes, and the reviewers did not back routine use.³

The same review found no clear difference in stillbirth, preterm birth, pre-eclampsia or poor fetal growth. One outcome, placental abruption, was less common with the vitamin E combinations; the reviewers said this needs more research, and we make no claim from it.³

Our sources do not cover vitamin E and fertility. If you are trying to conceive, ask your doctor before taking more vitamin E than a standard prenatal vitamin provides.

Cautions for women

In the Women's Angiographic Vitamin and Estrogen study, 423 postmenopausal women with narrowed heart arteries took 400 IU of vitamin E with 500 mg of vitamin C twice a day, or a placebo, for more than 4 years. The supplements gave no heart benefit, and deaths from any cause were significantly higher in the women taking them.²

Bleeding is the reason for the upper limit, and women taking a blood thinner such as warfarin should ask their doctor or pharmacist before starting vitamin E.¹

Vitamin E in skin products

In North American patch testing, people who reacted to vitamin E were more likely than others to be women (72.5% against 67.2%) and to have dermatitis on the face or scattered over the body. Moisturizers were the most common source.⁴

Questions people ask

Should women over 50 take vitamin E?

The need stays at 15 mg a day after 50. The large trials of higher doses in women 45 and older did not show the long-term health benefits they tested for, so they give no reason to take more than that.²

Do women need more vitamin E during pregnancy?

No. The recommended amount stays at 15 mg a day in pregnancy and rises to 19 mg only while breastfeeding.¹

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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.