Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that protects cells from oxidative damage and is found in several common foods. Supplementing with extra vitamin E does not have broad health benefits, except in people with vitamin E deficiency, and long-term high-dose supplementation may cause harm.
Quick Answer
What it is
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that protects cells from oxidative damage and is found in several common foods. Supplementing with extra vitamin E does not have broad health benefits, except in people with vitamin E deficiency, and long-term high-dose supplementation may cause harm.
Key findings
- Grade B: Dysmenorrhea Symptoms (Primary Dysmenorrhea (Menstrual Cramps))
- Grade B: Acute Kidney Injury Incidence (Acute Kidney Injury)
- Grade C: Anxiety Symptoms (Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS))
Safety
No specific caution or interaction language was detected in the current summary/outcome notes.
ℹ️ Quick Facts: Vitamin E
Quick Facts: Vitamin E
- Best Evidence:Grade B
- Conditions Studied:40
- Research Outcomes:274
- Grade B Findings:2
- Key Effect:Primary Dysmenorrhea (Menstrual Cramps)
Outcomes by grade:
A0
B2
C3
D32
40 conditions · 274 outcomes
Detailed Outcomes
Grade:
Effect:
Size:
Sort:
|
B
Dysmenorrhea Symptoms
Small Improvement
498 participants
small↓Improves
?
Menstrual Flow
1 study278 participants
↑Improves
B
Acute Kidney Injury Incidence
Moderate Improvement
2 studies357 participants
moderate↓Improves
?
Creatinine
478 participants
↑Improves
?
Kidney Function
4 studies425 participants
↑Improves
C
Anxiety Symptoms
Small Improvement
1 study58 participants
small↓Improves
?
PMS Symptoms
213 participants
↓Improves
?
Depression Symptoms
1 study58 participants
↓Improves
C
Blood Flow
Mixed effect
41 participants
?
LDL Oxidation
1 study41 participants
↓Improves
C
Plasma Vitamin E
Small Increase
141 participants
small↑Improves
?
Weight
141 participants
↓Improves
D
Alzheimer's Disease Risk
No effect
14262 participants
none
?
Alzheimer's Disease Symptoms
774 participants
↓Improves
?
Cognition
1 study820 participants
↑Improves
D
Alzheimer's Disease Risk
No effect
14262 participants
none
?
Alzheimer's Disease Symptoms
774 participants
↑Worsens
?
Cognition
1 study820 participants
↑Improves
D
All-Cause Mortality
No effect
89293 participants
none
?
Breast Cancer Risk
3 studies89293 participants
↑Worsens
?
Cardiovascular Disease Mortality
89293 participants
↓Improves
?
Colorectal Cancer Risk
3 studies89293 participants
↓Improves
?
Stroke Risk
89293 participants
↑Worsens
?
Cancer Mortality
2 studies49417 participants
↓Improves
?
Lung Cancer Risk
2 studies49417 participants
↑Worsens
?
Prostate Cancer Risk
45074 participants
↓Improves
?
Esophageal Cancer Risk
1 study9541 participants
↑Worsens
?
Heart Failure Risk
1 study9541 participants
↑Worsens
?
Major Adverse Cardiac Events
1 study9541 participants
↑Worsens
?
Melanoma Risk
1 study9541 participants
↑Worsens
?
Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease
1 study39876 participants
↓Improves
D
All-Cause Mortality
No effect
351 participants
none
?
Liver Enzymes
708 participants
↑Worsens
?
Liver Fat
1008 participants
↓Improves
?
Liver Fibrosis
2 studies1008 participants
↓Improves
D
Aerobic Exercise Metrics
No effect
68 participants
none
?
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers
68 participants
↓Improves
?
Blood Lactate (Exercise)
1 study30 participants
↑Worsens
?
Cortisol
1 study38 participants
↓Improves
?
Heart Rate
1 study30 participants
↓Improves
?
Homocysteine
1 study38 participants
↓Improves
?
Muscle Damage
1 study30 participants
↑Worsens
D
All-Cause Mortality
No effect
49417 participants
none
?
Cardiovascular Disease Mortality
49417 participants
↓Improves
?
Lung Cancer Risk
2 studies49417 participants
↑Worsens
?
Stroke Risk
49417 participants
↑Worsens
?
Heart Failure Risk
1 study9541 participants
↑Worsens
?
Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction
1 study9541 participants
↑Improves
?
Major Adverse Cardiac Events
1 study9541 participants
↑Worsens
?
Prostate Cancer Risk
9541 participants
↓Improves
D
Alzheimer's Disease Risk
No effect
1589 participants
none
?
Cognition
1 study820 participants
↑Improves
D
Seminal Motility
No effect
2 studies0
none
?
Sperm Count
2 studies0
↑Improves
?
Sperm Quality
2 studies0
↑Improves
D
All-Cause Mortality
No effect
39876 participants
none
D
Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile
No effect
1 study88 participants
none
?
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
6 studies300 participants
↓Improves
?
Total cholesterol
293 participants
↓Improves
?
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers
172 participants
↓Improves
?
Triglycerides
194 participants
↓Improves
?
Blood Pressure
3 studies135 participants
↓Improves
?
High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
162 participants
↑Improves
?
Weight
183 participants
↓Improves
?
Blood Flow
132 participants
↑Improves
?
Blood glucose
2 studies120 participants
↓Improves
?
C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
102 participants
↓Improves
?
Liver Enzymes
120 participants
↑Worsens
?
Red Blood Cell Count
2 studies120 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum Platelets
2 studies120 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum T3
2 studies120 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum T4
120 participants
↑Improves
?
White Blood Cell Count
120 participants
↑Improves
?
Arterial Stiffness
1 study36 participants
↓Improves
?
Bilirubin
1 study88 participants
↑Worsens
?
Bleeding Time
1 study88 participants
↑Worsens
?
Cardiovascular Disease Mortality
39876 participants
↓Improves
?
Cell Adhesion Factors
1 study39 participants
↓Improves
?
Endothelin-1
1 study63 participants
↑Improves
?
HbA1c
1 study63 participants
↓Improves
?
Heart Attack Risk
1 study39876 participants
↑Worsens
?
Hematocrit
1 study88 participants
↑Improves
?
Homocysteine
1 study88 participants
↓Improves
?
Immunity
1 study32 participants
↑Improves
?
Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction
1 study63 participants
↑Improves
?
Lymphocyte Count
1 study32 participants
↑Improves
?
Neutrophil Activity
1 study88 participants
↑Improves
?
Neutrophil Count
32 participants
↑Improves
?
Platelet Aggregation
1 study39 participants
↑Worsens
?
Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease
1 study39876 participants
↓Improves
?
Serum Cobalamin
1 study88 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum Folate
1 study88 participants
↑Improves
?
Stroke Risk
39876 participants
↑Worsens
D
Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile
No effect
1 study55 participants
none
?
DNA Damage
78 participants
↑Worsens
?
Blood glucose
2 studies74 participants
↓Improves
?
Cell Adhesion Factors
2 studies113 participants
↓Improves
?
Leukotriene B4
2 studies110 participants
↑Improves
?
Blood Flow
69 participants
↑Improves
?
C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
55 participants
↓Improves
?
HbA1c
1 study55 participants
↓Improves
?
Insulin
1 study19 participants
↑Worsens
?
Interleukin 6
1 study55 participants
↓Improves
?
Kidney Function
1 study55 participants
↑Improves
?
LDL Oxidation
1 study40 participants
↓Improves
?
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers
55 participants
↓Improves
?
Platelet Aggregation
1 study58 participants
↑Worsens
?
Thromboxane B2
58 participants
↑Improves
?
TNF-Alpha
55 participants
↓Improves
?
Type 2 Diabetes Incidence
38716 participants
↑Worsens
?
White Blood Cell Count
55 participants
↑Improves
D
Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile
No effect
1 study88 participants
none
?
Serum T4
351 participants
↑Improves
?
Total cholesterol
368 participants
↓Improves
?
Bleeding Time
4 studies319 participants
↑Worsens
?
Liver Enzymes
167 participants
↑Worsens
?
Serum T3
4 studies323 participants
↑Improves
?
Triglycerides
332 participants
↓Improves
?
White Blood Cell Count
148 participants
↑Improves
?
Blood glucose
2 studies120 participants
↓Improves
?
Blood Pressure
2 studies72 participants
↓Improves
?
Kidney Function
2 studies47 participants
↑Improves
?
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
2 studies124 participants
↓Improves
?
Lymphocyte Count
2 studies216 participants
↑Improves
?
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers
72 participants
↓Improves
?
Weight
120 participants
↓Improves
?
Arterial Stiffness
1 study36 participants
↓Improves
?
Bilirubin
1 study88 participants
↑Worsens
?
Hematocrit
1 study88 participants
↑Improves
?
High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
88 participants
↑Improves
?
Homocysteine
1 study88 participants
↓Improves
?
Immunity
1 study32 participants
↑Improves
?
Neutrophil Count
32 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum Cobalamin
1 study88 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum Folate
1 study88 participants
↑Improves
?
Sexual Function
1 study184 participants
↑Improves
D
B Cell Count
No effect
1 study53 participants
none
?
Immunity
3 studies281 participants
↑Improves
?
Interferon Gamma
322 participants
↑Improves
?
Interleukin 4
3 studies322 participants
↑Improves
?
Immunoglobulin G
140 participants
↑Improves
?
Interleukin 2
2 studies193 participants
↑Improves
?
Vaccine Augmentation
2 studies196 participants
↑Improves
?
White Blood Cell Count
120 participants
↑Improves
?
CD4 Lymphocytes
1 study53 participants
↑Improves
?
CD8 Lymphocytes
53 participants
↑Improves
?
Creatinine
32 participants
↑Improves
?
Immunoglobulin A
1 study32 participants
↑Improves
?
Immunoglobulin M
1 study32 participants
↑Improves
?
Liver Enzymes
32 participants
↑Worsens
?
Natural Killer Cell Content
1 study53 participants
↑Improves
?
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers
32 participants
↓Improves
?
Prostaglandin E2
1 study32 participants
↓Improves
?
Red Blood Cell Count
1 study32 participants
↑Improves
D
Bilirubin
No effect
1 study222 participants
none
?
Liver Enzymes
1008 participants
↑Worsens
?
Cirrhosis Severity
239 participants
↑Worsens
?
Glycemic Control
2 studies239 participants
↑Improves
?
Liver Fat
1008 participants
↓Improves
?
Liver Fibrosis
2 studies1008 participants
↓Improves
?
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers
43 participants
↓Improves
?
Total cholesterol
244 participants
↓Improves
?
Triglycerides
244 participants
↓Improves
?
Weight
244 participants
↓Improves
?
Blood glucose
1 study222 participants
↓Improves
?
High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
222 participants
↑Improves
?
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
1 study222 participants
↓Improves
?
Serum TGF-β
1 study22 participants
↑Improves
D
All-Cause Mortality
No effect
39876 participants
none
?
Stroke Risk
148016 participants
↑Worsens
?
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
2 studies78 participants
↓Improves
?
C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
39 participants
↓Improves
?
Cardiovascular Disease Mortality
39876 participants
↓Improves
?
Cell Adhesion Factors
1 study39 participants
↓Improves
?
High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
39 participants
↑Improves
?
Platelet Aggregation
1 study39 participants
↑Worsens
?
Total cholesterol
39 participants
↓Improves
?
Triglycerides
39 participants
↓Improves
D
Cancer Mortality
No effect
1 study29133 participants
none
?
Prostate Cancer Risk
100199 participants
↓Improves
D
Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile
No effect
1 study88 participants
none
?
Blood glucose
2 studies120 participants
↓Improves
?
Liver Enzymes
120 participants
↑Worsens
?
Red Blood Cell Count
2 studies120 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum Platelets
2 studies120 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum T3
2 studies120 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum T4
120 participants
↑Improves
?
Total cholesterol
120 participants
↓Improves
?
Triglycerides
120 participants
↓Improves
?
Weight
120 participants
↓Improves
?
White Blood Cell Count
120 participants
↑Improves
?
Bilirubin
1 study88 participants
↑Worsens
?
Bleeding Time
1 study88 participants
↑Worsens
?
Hematocrit
1 study88 participants
↑Improves
?
High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
88 participants
↑Improves
?
Homocysteine
1 study88 participants
↓Improves
?
Immunity
1 study32 participants
↑Improves
?
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
1 study88 participants
↓Improves
?
Lymphocyte Count
1 study32 participants
↑Improves
?
Neutrophil Activity
1 study88 participants
↑Improves
?
Neutrophil Count
32 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum Cobalamin
1 study88 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum Folate
1 study88 participants
↑Improves
D
Asthma Symptoms
No effect
64 participants
none
?
Immunoglobulin E
1 study64 participants
↑Improves
D
Free Testosterone
No effect
36 participants
none
?
Luteinizing Hormone
1 study36 participants
↑Improves
?
Prolactin
1 study36 participants
↑Improves
D
High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
No effect
35 participants
none
?
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers
70 participants
↓Improves
?
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
1 study35 participants
↓Improves
?
Total cholesterol
35 participants
↓Improves
?
Triglycerides
35 participants
↓Improves
D
High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
No effect
35 participants
none
?
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers
70 participants
↓Improves
?
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
1 study35 participants
↓Improves
?
Total cholesterol
35 participants
↓Improves
?
Triglycerides
35 participants
↓Improves
D
All-Cause Mortality
No effect
1038 participants
none
?
Cataract Risk
1 study1038 participants
↑Worsens
D
Cognitive Decline
No effect
6377 participants
none
?
Memory
1 study6377 participants
↑Improves
?
Verbal Fluency
1 study6377 participants
↑Improves
D
Aerobic Exercise Metrics
No effect
30 participants
none
?
Blood Lactate (Exercise)
1 study30 participants
↑Worsens
?
Heart Rate
1 study30 participants
↓Improves
?
Muscle Damage
1 study30 participants
↑Worsens
?
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers
30 participants
↓Improves
D
Alzheimer's Disease Risk
No effect
820 participants
none
?
Cognition
1 study820 participants
↑Improves
D
Serum T4
No effect
184 participants
none
?
Sexual Function
1 study184 participants
↑Improves
?
Triglycerides
184 participants
↓Improves
D
Lymphocyte Count
No effect
1 study184 participants
none
?
Serum T3
1 study184 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum T4
184 participants
↑Improves
?
Sexual Function
1 study184 participants
↑Improves
?
Total cholesterol
184 participants
↓Improves
?
Triglycerides
184 participants
↓Improves
D
All-Cause Mortality
No effect
451 participants
none
?
Immunity
2 studies902 participants
↑Improves
?
Hemoglobin
1 study451 participants
↑Improves
?
Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Risk
1 study451 participants
↑Worsens
?
Weight
451 participants
↓Improves
D
Bleeding Time
No effect
1 study184 participants
none
?
Lymphocyte Count
1 study184 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum T3
1 study184 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum T4
184 participants
↑Improves
?
Sexual Function
1 study184 participants
↑Improves
?
Subjective Well-Being
1 study184 participants
↑Improves
?
Total cholesterol
184 participants
↓Improves
?
Triglycerides
184 participants
↓Improves
D
Aerobic Exercise Metrics
No effect
38 participants
none
?
Cortisol
1 study38 participants
↓Improves
?
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers
38 participants
↓Improves
D
Lymphocyte Count
No effect
1 study184 participants
none
?
Serum T3
1 study184 participants
↑Improves
?
Serum T4
184 participants
↑Improves
?
Sexual Function
1 study184 participants
↑Improves
?
Subjective Well-Being
1 study184 participants
↑Improves
?
Total cholesterol
184 participants
↓Improves
?
Triglycerides
184 participants
↓Improves
D
All-Cause Mortality
No effect
451 participants
none
?
Immunity
2 studies902 participants
↑Improves
?
Hemoglobin
1 study451 participants
↑Improves
?
Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Risk
1 study451 participants
↑Worsens
?
Weight
451 participants
↓Improves
?
Breast Tenderness
240 participants
↓Improves
?
Erythema
Small Detriment
2 studies169 participants
small
?
Scar Healing
169 participants
↑Improves
?
Hair Regrowth
35 participants
↑Improves
?
Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk
39144 participants
↑Worsens
?
Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms
14 participants
↓Improves
?
Thromboembolism Risk
26779 participants
↑Worsens
Evidence by Condition
Best grade per condition (each condition may have multiple outcomes)
Research Citations (63)
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