Vitamin E
Research reviewed: Up until 03/2026
Vitamin E (Tocopherol) is a dietary supplement with 13 published peer-reviewed studies involving 3,850 participants, researched for Antioxidant Protection, Cardiovascular Health, Immune Support.
Evidence at a Glance
Strength is scored by study design, sample size, study type, and outcomes
Antioxidant Protection
StrongCardiovascular Health
ModerateImmune Support
StrongResearch Visualised
Visual breakdown of the clinical data.
Study Quality Breakdown
What types of studies were conducted
Participants Per Study
Larger samples = more reliable results
Research Timeline
When the studies were published
All Studies
Detailed breakdown of each trial. Click to expand.
Antioxidant Protection
To evaluate effects of vitamin E supplementation on oxidative stress markers in type 2 diabetes
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate effects of vitamin E supplementation on oxidative stress markers in type 2 diabetes
Dose
800 IU/day alpha-tocopherol
Participants
30 T2DM adults
Duration
3 months
Results
Vitamin E significantly reduced oxidative stress markers including MDA and 8-isoprostane vs placebo.
How They Measured It
MDA, antioxidant enzymes, 8-isoprostane
To assess vitamin E supplementation on LDL oxidation in healthy individuals
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess vitamin E supplementation on LDL oxidation in healthy individuals
Dose
400 IU/day
Participants
50 healthy adults
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Vitamin E significantly reduced LDL oxidation susceptibility vs placebo (lag time increased 26%).
How They Measured It
LDL oxidation susceptibility, plasma tocopherol
To evaluate the effect of vitamin E supplementation on exercise-induced oxidative stress
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate the effect of vitamin E supplementation on exercise-induced oxidative stress
Dose
800 mg alpha-tocopherol
Participants
21 trained cyclists
Duration
24 weeks
Results
Vitamin E significantly reduced exercise-induced lipid peroxidation and improved antioxidant defence.
How They Measured It
Lipid peroxidation, antioxidant capacity
To evaluate the effect of antioxidant vitamin supplementation including vitamin E on cardiovascular outcomes
Study Type
Systematic review and meta-analysis
Purpose
To evaluate the effect of antioxidant vitamin supplementation including vitamin E on cardiovascular outcomes
Dose
Various
Participants
Multiple large RCTs pooled
Duration
Various
Results
Vitamin E supplementation had mixed effects; reduced LDL oxidation consistently but inconsistent effects on cardiovascular events.
How They Measured It
Cardiovascular events, mortality, meta-analysis
Cardiovascular Health
To test whether high-dose alpha-tocopherol reduces risk of myocardial infarction in established ischaemic heart disease
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled (CHAOS Trial)
Purpose
To test whether high-dose alpha-tocopherol reduces risk of myocardial infarction in established ischaemic heart disease
Dose
400-800 IU/day alpha-tocopherol
Participants
2002 adults with established ischaemic heart disease
Duration
~1.4 years
Results
Significant reduction in non-fatal MI risk (77% reduction, p=0.005); no significant effect on cardiovascular death.
How They Measured It
Myocardial infarction, cardiovascular death
To evaluate alpha-tocopherol supplementation on atherosclerosis progression in healthy individuals
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled (VEAPS Trial)
Purpose
To evaluate alpha-tocopherol supplementation on atherosclerosis progression in healthy individuals
Dose
400 IU/day alpha-tocopherol
Participants
353 healthy adults at risk for CVD
Duration
3 years
Results
Alpha-tocopherol reduced LDL oxidation significantly but did not significantly reduce carotid atherosclerosis progression.
How They Measured It
Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), LDL oxidation
To evaluate vitamin E supplementation on arterial stiffness in metabolic syndrome patients
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate vitamin E supplementation on arterial stiffness in metabolic syndrome patients
Dose
800 IU/day mixed tocopherols
Participants
60 metabolic syndrome patients
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Vitamin E significantly improved endothelial function and reduced arterial stiffness markers vs placebo.
How They Measured It
Pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, endothelial function
To assess vitamin E effects on platelet aggregation and thrombosis risk
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess vitamin E effects on platelet aggregation and thrombosis risk
Dose
400 IU/day vitamin E
Participants
40 adults with diabetes
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Vitamin E significantly reduced platelet aggregation and thromboxane B2 levels vs placebo.
How They Measured It
Platelet aggregation, thromboxane B2
Immune Support
To evaluate high-dose vitamin E supplementation on immune function in elderly adults
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate high-dose vitamin E supplementation on immune function in elderly adults
Dose
200 mg/day all-rac alpha-tocopherol
Participants
88 healthy elderly adults
Duration
235 days
Results
Vitamin E at 200 mg significantly improved delayed-type hypersensitivity and antibody titres in the elderly.
How They Measured It
DTH skin test, antibody response, T-cell function
To assess the effect of vitamin E supplementation on common cold duration and severity
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess the effect of vitamin E supplementation on common cold duration and severity
Dose
400 IU/day vitamin E
Participants
617 nursing home elderly
Duration
12 months
Results
Vitamin E did not reduce risk of common cold but significantly reduced severity and duration.
How They Measured It
Cold duration, symptom severity, immune biomarkers
To evaluate vitamin E supplementation on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate vitamin E supplementation on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Dose
800 IU/day vitamin E
Participants
247 non-diabetic NAFLD adults
Duration
96 weeks
Results
Vitamin E significantly improved histological NAFLD scores and reduced liver enzymes vs placebo (p=0.001).
How They Measured It
ALT, AST, liver biopsy histological scores
To evaluate vitamin E and skin photoprotection in adults
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate vitamin E and skin photoprotection in adults
Dose
400 IU/day vitamin E + 2 g vitamin C
Participants
40 healthy adults
Duration
3 months
Results
Combined vitamin E and C significantly reduced UV-induced erythema and improved photoprotection.
How They Measured It
Erythema index, skin photoprotection, UV damage
To evaluate vitamin E supplementation and cardiovascular health comprehensively
Study Type
Systematic review and meta-analysis
Purpose
To evaluate vitamin E supplementation and cardiovascular health comprehensively
Dose
Various
Participants
Multiple large trials
Duration
Various
Results
Vitamin E consistently reduces oxidative stress and has positive immune effects; cardiovascular effects context-dependent.
How They Measured It
Systematic review of cardiovascular outcomes, immune function, antioxidant effects
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Vitamin E research
There are currently 13 peer-reviewed studies on Vitamin E (Tocopherol), involving 3,850 total participants. Research covers Antioxidant protection, Cardiovascular health, Immune support. The overall evidence strength is rated as Very Strong.
The evidence is currently rated as "Very Strong Evidence". This rating is based on study design quality (randomisation, blinding, placebo controls), sample sizes, study types (13 human studies), and reported outcomes.
Vitamin E has been researched for: Antioxidant protection, Cardiovascular health, Immune support. Each area has its own body of evidence which you can explore in the study breakdowns above.
Yes, 13 out of 13 studies are human trials. Human trials carry more weight in our evidence scoring system.
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