Vitamin E

What it is · too little · too much · daily reference values by country

For reference only. This is not a diagnosis or a prescription. If you have concerns, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.

What it is

Vitamin E is a main part of the body's antioxidant defense system, and it works to remove peroxyl radicals. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
α-tocopherol (Vitamin E) is a fat-soluble vitamin and part of the antioxidant defence system. (European Food Safety Authority)

Getting too little

Vitamin E deficiency is mostly seen with special metabolic defects, such as abnormalities in the α-tocopherol transfer protein gene or in lipoprotein metabolism, and it is rare in the general population. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Low α-tocopherol levels are associated with neurological symptoms, including ataxia. (European Food Safety Authority)

Getting too much

It has been reported that excessive intake of α-tocopherol in the form of supplements or similar preparations can be harmful to health. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
It has been reported that taking high-dose vitamin E supplements can cause problems such as cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders, lower plasma thyroxine levels, and blood clotting disorders. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)

Daily reference values by country

Korea · US · EU — tap to open

These tables are daily reference values for healthy people. Numbers in the text above are a different kind of value, and you cannot diagnose yourself from them. How to read RDA, AI and UL

Korea — 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (Ministry of Health and Welfare)

Group	AI	UL
0–5 months	3 mg
6–11 months	4 mg
1–2 years	5 mg	Checking
3–5 years	6 mg	Checking
Male · 6–8 years	7 mg	Checking
Male · 9–11 years	9 mg	Checking
Male · 12–14 years	11 mg	Checking
Male · 15–18 years	12 mg	Checking
Male · 19–29 years	12 mg	Checking
Male · 30–49 years	12 mg	Checking
Male · 50–64 years	12 mg	Checking
Male · 65–74 years	12 mg	Checking
Male · 75+ years	12 mg	Checking
Female · 6–8 years	7 mg	Checking
Female · 9–11 years	9 mg	Checking
Female · 12–14 years	11 mg	Checking
Female · 15–18 years	12 mg	Checking
Female · 19–29 years	12 mg	Checking
Female · 30–49 years	12 mg	Checking
Female · 50–64 years	12 mg	Checking
Female · 65–74 years	12 mg	Checking
Female · 75+ years	12 mg	Checking
Pregnancy	+0 mg	Checking
Lactation	+3 mg	Checking

US — NASEM (National Academies)

Group	EAR	RDA	AI	UL
1–3 years	5 mg	6 mg		200 mg
4–8 years	6 mg	7 mg		300 mg
Male · 9–13 years	9 mg	11 mg		600 mg
Male · 14–18 years	12 mg	15 mg		800 mg
Male · 19–30 years	12 mg	15 mg		1000 mg
Male · 31–50 years	12 mg	15 mg		1000 mg
Male · 51–70 years	12 mg	15 mg		1000 mg
Male · 71+ years	12 mg	15 mg		1000 mg
Female · 9–13 years	9 mg	11 mg		600 mg
Female · 14–18 years	12 mg	15 mg		800 mg
Female · 19–30 years	12 mg	15 mg		1000 mg
Female · 31–50 years	12 mg	15 mg		1000 mg
Female · 51–70 years	12 mg	15 mg		1000 mg
Female · 71+ years	12 mg	15 mg		1000 mg
Pregnancy · 14–18 years	12 mg	15 mg		800 mg
Pregnancy · 19–30 years	12 mg	15 mg		1000 mg
Pregnancy · 31–50 years	12 mg	15 mg		1000 mg
Lactation · 14–18 years	16 mg	19 mg		800 mg
Lactation · 19–30 years	16 mg	19 mg		1000 mg
Lactation · 31–50 years	16 mg	19 mg		1000 mg
0–6 months			4 mg	—
7–12 months			5 mg	—

UL — applies to: The UL for vitamin E applies to synthetic forms obtained from supplements, fortified foods, or a combination of the two.

EU — EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)

Group	AI	UL
7–11 months	5 mg
1–2 years	6 mg
3–3 years	9 mg
4–6 years	9 mg	Checking
7–9 years	9 mg
Male · 10–10 years	13 mg
Female · 10–10 years	11 mg
Male · 11–14 years	13 mg
Female · 11–14 years	11 mg
Male · 15–17 years	13 mg
Female · 15–17 years	11 mg
Male · 18+ years	13 mg
Female · 18+ years	11 mg
Pregnancy · 18–60 years	11 mg
Lactation · 18–60 years	11 mg
18+ years		Checking
Pregnancy · 18+ years		Checking
Lactation · 18+ years		Checking
1–3 years		Checking
7–10 years		Checking
11–14 years		Checking
15–17 years		Checking

Sources

EFSA DRV Finder (Dietary Reference Values) · checked 2026-10-07
EFSA DRV Finder — nutrient descriptions · checked 2026-10-07
EFSA Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (v11, August 2025) · checked 2026-10-07
2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, Vol. 2: Vitamins (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans — summary tables (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (Appendix J, 2019) · checked 2026-10-07

The sentences are plain-language summaries of official sources written by SuppleBoard. Each English sentence was checked against the source text by an AI reviewer before publishing. The agencies do not endorse this site. Published 2026-10-16.

Check my supplements Other nutrients