Safety Profile
Overall safety rating: Generally Safe
Vitamin E Side Effects & Safety
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Full disclaimer
Potential Side Effects
- Generally well-tolerated at recommended doses
- High doses (>400 IU/day) may increase bleeding risk
- Nausea, fatigue, and headache at very high doses
- Meta-analysis raised concerns about all-cause mortality at doses >400 IU/day (debated)
Drug & Supplement Interactions
- May increase bleeding risk when combined with anticoagulants (warfarin, aspirin, NSAIDs)
- High doses may interfere with vitamin K-dependent clotting factors
- Synergistic with vitamin C — vitamin C regenerates oxidized vitamin E
- Orlistat and cholestyramine may reduce vitamin E absorption
- May interact with chemotherapy and radiation therapy (consult oncologist)
Maximum Dose
Do not exceed: 1,000 mg/day (1,500 IU natural or 1,100 IU synthetic) is the NIH Upper Tolerable Intake Level
References
- Eberlein-König B, Placzek M, Przybilla B. (1998). Protective effect against sunburn of combined systemic ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and d-alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E). Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. DOI PubMed
- Thiele JJ, Hsieh SN, Ekanayake-Mudiyanselage S. (2005). Vitamin E: critical review of its current use in cosmetic and clinical dermatology. Dermatologic Surgery. DOI PubMed
- Cosgrove MC, Franco OH, Granger SP, et al. (2007). Dietary nutrient intakes and skin-aging appearance among middle-aged American women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. DOI PubMed
- Miller ER, Pastor-Barriuso R, Dalal D, et al. (2005). Meta-analysis: high-dosage vitamin E supplementation may increase all-cause mortality. Annals of Internal Medicine. DOI PubMed