Vitamin E: Intake

The intake recommendations (D-A-CH reference values) of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) presented below are aimed at healthy people of normal weight. They do not refer to the supply of sick and convalescent people. Individual requirements may therefore be higher than the DGE recommendations (e.g. due to diet, consumption of stimulants, long-term medication, etc.).

Furthermore, you will find the safe daily maximum amount (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA/SCF) in the table on the right. This value reflects the safe maximum amount of a micronutrient (vital substance) that does not cause any side effects when taken daily from all sources (food and supplements) for a lifetime.

Estimated values for adequate intake

Age Tocopherol
mg-equivalenta, b/day Tolerable Upper Intake Level of SCFd (mg).
m w
Infants
0 to under 4 months 3 3 – –
4 to under 12 months 4 4 – –
Children
1 to under 4 years 6 5 100
4 to under 7 years 8 8 120
7 to under 10 years 10 9 160
10 to under 13 years 13 11 220
13 to under 15 years 14 12 220
Adolescents and adults
15 to under 19 years 15 12 260
19 to under 25 years 15 12 300
25 to under 51 years 14 12 300
51 to under 65 years 13 12 300
65 years and older 12 11 300
Pregnant 13 300
Stillendec 17 300

a1 mg RRR-α-tocopherol equivalent = 1 mg RRR-α-tocopherol = 1.49 IU; 1 IU = 0.67 mg RRR-α-tocopherol = 1 mg all-rac-α-tocopheryl acetate.

b1 mg RRR-α-tocopherol (D-α-tocopherol) equivalent = 1, 1 mg RRR-α-tocopheryl acetate (D-α-tocopheryl acetate) = 2 mg RRR-β-tocopherol (D-β-tocopherol) = 4 mg RRR-γ-tocopherol (D-γ-tocopherol) = 100 mg RRR-δ-tocopherol (D-δ-tocopherol) = 3, 3 mg RRR-α-tocotrienol (D-α-tocotrienol) = 1.49 mg all-rac-α-tocopheryl acetate (D, L-α-tocopheryl acetate).

cCirca 260 µg RRR-α-tocopherol equivalent supplement per 100 g secreted milk.

dTolerable Upper Intake Level (safe total daily intake) of the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF).

In the course of the standardization of European regulations, valid Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) were issued in the European Union (EU) and made mandatory for nutrition labeling in 1990 in Directive 90/496/EEC. An update of this directive took place in 2008. In 2011, the RDA values were replaced by NRV values (Nutrient Reference Value) in Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011. The NRV values indicate the amount of vitamins, minerals and trace elements that an average person should consume daily to meet their needs.

Vitamin Name NRV
Vitamin E Tocopherol 12 mg

Caution. An NRV is not an indication of maximum amounts and upper limits – see above under “Tolerable Upper Intake Level” (UL). NRV values also do not take into account gender and age – see above under Recommendations of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) e. V..