20 Foods That Are High in Vitamin E

Medically Reviewed on 7/21/2022
20 Foods That Are High in Vitamin E
Remember, vitamin E is sensitive to heat, so it is best to eat fresh, raw vitamin E-rich foods.

Vitamin E is a group of eight fat-soluble antioxidants (tocopherols and tocotrienols) that offer essential health benefits and help protect cells in the body against the damaging effects of free radicals (molecules that contain an unshared electron).

They, thus, help prevent the development of various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Vitamin E is stored in the fatty tissue and the liver.

What is the daily requirement of vitamin E?

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin E for males and females (including pregnant women) aged 14 years and older is 15 mg daily (22 International Units). Lactating women need slightly more at 19 mg (28 International Units) daily.

Remember, vitamin E is sensitive to heat, so it is best to eat fresh, raw vitamin E-rich foods.

20 foods high in vitamin E

Table 1. Foods high in vitamin E
Food Serving Percentage of Vitamin E
Wheat germ oil 1 ounce 135 percent of the daily value
Sunflower seeds 1 ounce 66 percent of the daily value
Almonds 1 ounce or 23 nuts 48 percent of the daily value
Hazelnut oil 1 tablespoon 43 percent of the daily value
Mamey sapote half a fruit 39 percent of the daily value
Sunflower oil 1 tablespoon 37 percent of the daily value
Almond oil 1 tablespoon 36 percent of the daily value
Hazelnuts 1 ounce 28 percent of the daily value
Abalone 3 ounces 23 percent of the daily value
Pine nuts 1 ounce 18 percent of the daily value
Goose meat 1 cup 16 percent of the daily value
Peanuts 1 ounce 16 percent of the daily value
Avocado half a fruit 14 percent of the daily value
Red bell pepper 1 medium-sized pepper 13 percent of the daily value
Brazil nuts 1 ounce 11 percent of the daily value
Mango half a fruit 10 percent of the daily value
Turnip greens 1 cup 10 percent of the daily value
Kiwi 1 medium-sized fruit 7 percent of the daily value
Pistachios 1 ounce 5 percent of the daily value
Table 2. Seafood high in vitamin E
Food Serving Percentage of Vitamin E
Atlantic salmon half a fillet 14 percent of the daily value
Rainbow trout 1 fillet 13 percent of the daily value
Snails 1 ounce 9 percent of the daily value
Crayfish 3 ounces 8 percent of the daily value
Fish roe 1 tablespoon 7 percent of the daily value
Octopus 3 ounces 7 percent of the daily value
Lobster 3 ounces 6 percent of the daily value
Dried cod 1 ounce 5 percent of the daily value

SLIDESHOW

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Other vitamin E-rich foods

  • Seeds and nuts
    • Pumpkin seeds
    • Pecans
    • Cashews
  • Fruits
    • Blackberries
    • Black currants
    • Cranberries
    • Pickled olives
    • Apricots
    • Raspberries
  • Vegetables
    • Beet greens
    • Cooked butternut squash
    • Cooked broccoli
    • Mustard greens
    • Cooked asparagus
    • Raw Swiss chard
    • Raw collards
    • Raw spinach
  • Cooking oils
    • Cottonseed oil
    • Safflower oil
    • Rice bran oil
    • Grape seed oil
    • Canola oil
    • Palm oil

5 crucial roles of vitamin E

  1. Helps the immune system to fight off infection: The antioxidants in vitamin E, especially alpha-tocopherol (the most active form of vitamin E), enhance the body’s immune response. Thus, it helps fight age-related cell damage that is linked with many chronic diseases, including cancer.
  2. Supports eye health: Studies report that maintaining recommended levels of vitamin E may promote healthy eye function and reduce the risk of developing conditions, such as cataracts or age-related vision loss.
  3. Promotes brain health:
    • Scientists believe that vitamin E’s antioxidants, together with nutrients, such as vitamins A and C, can help maintain long-term brain health.
    • In addition, studies suggest that vitamin E can prevent memory decline or slow the progression of conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease.
  4. Maintains heart health: Some studies have reported getting enough vitamin E as a part of a healthy diet reduces the risk of heart attacks or death from other heart diseases.
  5. Maintains healthy skin: Vitamin E helps protect the skin against inflammation. It keeps the skin healthy and minimizes skin damage caused by sunlight.

5 causes of vitamin E deficiency

Vitamin E deficiency is rare and usually occurs in people with:

  1. Less intake of vitamin E in the diet
  2. Fat-absorption problems due to gastrointestinal issues
  3. Premature babies with low birth weight
  4. Abetalipoproteinemia (a rare inherited disorder resulting in poor absorption of dietary fat)
  5. Ataxia and vitamin E deficiency (a rare, inherited disorder in which the liver’s alpha-tocopherol transfer protein is either defective or absent)

Over time, vitamin E deficiency can present with symptoms, such as:

  • Loss of balance or ataxia
  • Muscle weakness or skeletal myopathy
  • Retinopathy (damage to the retina of the eyes that can impair vision)
  • Peripheral neuropathy (damage to the peripheral nerves, usually in the hands or feet, causing weakness or pain)
  • Impairment of the immune response
Medically Reviewed on 7/21/2022
References
Image Source: iStock image

WebMD. Top Foods High in Vitamin E. https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-vitamin-e#1

National Institutes of Health. Vitamin E. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/

Harvard T.H. Chan. Vitamin E. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-e/