Vitamin E: What is the health risk of too much vitamin E?

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The health risk of too much vitamin E is low.

A recent review of the safety of vitamin E in the elderly indicated that taking vitamin E supplements for up to four months at doses of 530 mg or 800 IU (35 times the current RDA) had no significant effect on general health, body weight, levels of body proteins, lipid levels, liver or kidney function, thyroid hormones, amount or kinds of blood cells, and bleeding time. Even though this study provides evidence that taking a vitamin E supplement containing 530 mg or 800 IU for four months is safe, the long term safety of vitamin E supplementation has not been tested.

The Institute of Medicine has set an upper tolerable intake level for vitamin E at 1,000 mg or 1,500 IU for any form of supplementary alpha-tocopherol per day because the nutrient can act as an anticoagulant and increase the risk of bleeding problems. Upper tolerable intake levels "represent the maximum intake of a nutrient that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects in almost all individuals in the general population".

The preceding information came from the National Institute of Health at:

http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/supplements/vite.html

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