Vitamins Minerals

Vitamin E has several important functions. For example, it acts as an antioxidant,which protects cell membranes.

This helps tomaintain healthy skin, eyes and strengthens the immune system.

Good sources of vitamin E

Vitamin E is found in a wide variety of foods. The richest sources are plant oils, such as soya, corn and olive oil.

Other good sources include:

• nuts and seeds
• wheat germ found in cereals and cereal products

How much vitamin E do I need?

The amount of vitamin E you need is:

• 4mg a day for men
• 3mg a day for women

You should be able to get all the vitamin E you need from your daily diet.

Any vitamin E your body doesn't need immediately is stored for future use, so you don't need it in your diet every day.

What happens if I take too much vitamin E?

There isn't enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of vitamin E supplements each day.

Whatdoes theDepartment of Health advise?

You should be able to get the amount of vitamin E you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. If you take vitamin E supplements, don'ttake too much.

Taking 540mg or less a day of vitamin E supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.