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The following doses have been studied in scientific research:
ADULTS
BY MOUTH:
- General: Dosing for vitamin E can be confusing. Current guidelines show recommended dietary allowances (RDA) and tolerable upper intake limits (UL) for vitamin E in milligrams (mg). But some products are still labeled in International Units (IUs). The doses of natural vitamin E (RRR-alpha-tocopherol) and vitamin E that has been made in the lab (all-rac-alpha-tocopherol) are calculated differently. This can make it difficult to figure out the correct dose. The daily recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for natural vitamin E (RRR-alpha-tocopherol) in adults are 15 mg (22 IU) in men and women, 15 mg (22 IU) in pregnant women, and 19 mg (28 IU) in breastfeeding women.
- For vitamin E deficiency: A typical dose in adults is 60-75 IU of RRR-alpha tocopherol (natural vitamin E) per day
- For an inherited condition that affects motor control (ataxia with vitamin E deficiency or AVED): 800-1500 mg of RRR-alpha-tocopherol or all-rac-alpha-tocopherol daily.
- For low levels of red blood cells in people with long-term illness (anemia of chronic disease): 447-745 IU of vitamin E daily with erythropoietin 93-74 U/kg/week.
- For a movement disorder often caused by antipsychotic drugs (tardive dyskinesia): 1600 IU of RRR-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E) daily.
- For improving conditions in a man that prevent him from getting a woman pregnant within a year of trying to conceive (male infertility): 298-894 IU of vitamin E daily.
- For Alzheimer disease: up to 2000 IU of vitamin E daily. Combination therapy with 5 mg of donepezil (Aricept) and 1000 IU of vitamin E per day has been used for slowing memory decline in people with Alzheimer disease.
- For swelling (inflammation) and build up of fat in the liver in people who drink little or no alcohol (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH): 800 IU of vitamin E daily.
- For an inherited brain disorder that affects movements, emotions, and thinking (Huntington disease): 3000 IU of RRR-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E).
- For rheumatoid arthritis (RA): 600 IU of vitamin E twice daily.
- For treating the reduced benefit of nitrate therapy that happens when nitrates are used all day (nitrate tolerance): 298 IU of vitamin E three times daily.
- For an inherited disorder that causes red blood cells to break down in response to stress (G6PD deficiency): 800 IU of vitamin E daily.
- For premenstrual syndrome (PMS): 400 IU of RRR-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E) daily.
- For menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea): 200 IU to 500 IU of vitamin E daily starting 2 days before the menstrual period and continuing through the first 3 days of bleeding. 200 IU of vitamin E with 300 mg of fish oil has also been used.
- For recovery from laser eye surgery (photoreactive keratectomy): 343 IU of vitamin E (alpha-tocopheryl nicotinate) and 25,000 units of vitamin A (retinol palmitate) have been used 3 times daily for 30 days, followed by twice daily for 2 months.
- For scarring of tissue caused by radiation therapy: 1000 IU of vitamin E daily in combination with 800 mg of pentoxifylline.
- For swelling (inflammation) of the eye (uveitis): 149 IU of vitamin E (unspecified forms) in combination with 500 mg of vitamin C twice daily.
- For preventing sunburn: 1000 IU of RRR-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E) in combination with 2 grams of ascorbic acid.
APPLIED TO THE SKIN:
- For treating leakage of intravenous (IV) drug from the vein into surrounding skin and tissue (extravasation): Vitamin E 10% in combination with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) 90% applied to the skin.
- For preventing sunburn: Vitamin E in combination with topical vitamin C and melatonin applied to the skin prior to sun exposure.
CHILDREN
BY MOUTH:
- General: The daily recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for natural vitamin E (RRR-alpha-tocopherol) in children are 4 mg (6 IU) in infants 0-6 months of age, 5 mg (7 IU) in infants 7-12 months of age, 6 mg (9 IU) in children 1-3 years of age; 7 mg (10 IU) in children 4-8 years of age, 11 mg (16 IU) in children 9-13 years of age, and 15 mg (22 IU) in children 14 years and older.
- For an inherited condition that affects motor control (ataxia with vitamin E deficiency or AVED): 40 mg/kg of RRR-alpha-tocopherol or all-rac-alpha-tocopherol daily.
- For a blood disorder that reduces levels of protein in the blood called hemoglobin (beta-thalassemia): 298 mg of vitamin E daily for 4-8 weeks.
- For scarring or hardening of blood vessels in the kidney (glomerulosclerosis): 200 Iu of vitamin E.
- For treating bleeding within the skull (intracranial hemorrhage): 100 mg/kg of vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate).
- For treating bleeding into or around the fluid-filled areas (ventricles) of the brain (intraventricular hemorrhage): 29.8 IU/kg of vitamin E.
- For swelling (inflammation) and build up of fat in the liver in people who drink little or no alcohol (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH): 400-1200 IU of vitamin E daily. *
Usual Adult Dose for Dietary Supplement
US Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):15 mg alpha-tocopherol (22.4 international units [IU])
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): 1000 mg alpha-tocopherol (1500 IU)
Comments:
-Converting from international units (IU) to mg:
--1 IU natural vitamin E (commonly labeled d-alpha-tocopherol) = 0.67 mg alpha tocopherol.
--1 IU synthetic vitamin E (commonly labeled dl-alpha-tocopherol) = 0.45 mg alpha tocopherol. *
