Vitamin E foods: The best sources at a glance

Vitamin E is found above all in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds - wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, almonds and hazelnuts are among the richest sources. Anyone who regularly builds high-quality oils and a handful of nuts into their diet usually covers their needs well. Vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. In this guide you will find a clear list of the best vitamin E providers with orientation values, learn your daily requirement, get practical tips on how to absorb the sensitive, fat-soluble vitamin well, and read when a supplement is a topic at all.

Why vitamin E is important

Vitamin E is the collective term for a group of fat-soluble compounds, the so-called tocopherols and tocotrienols. The best-known form, and the one most effective for the body, is alpha-tocopherol, to which most nutritional values also refer. As a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin E is absorbed together with dietary fats and stored in the body, so that short-term fluctuations in intake are well balanced out. Vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress - this is the recognised function that plays a role in nutrition. Because the vitamin is found predominantly in fat-rich plant foods, a balanced diet with good oils, nuts and seeds is the simplest and most reliable basis for a solid supply. Animal foods, by contrast, provide only comparatively small amounts, which is why plant fats are clearly in the foreground here.

What oxidative stress means

The term oxidative stress describes an imbalance between so-called free radicals and the body's own protective mechanisms. Free radicals arise quite naturally in the metabolism and are additionally favoured by factors such as smoking, strong UV radiation or environmental burdens. Antioxidant nutrients are part of the protective system that the body sets against these processes. In this context the recognised function of vitamin E is to be classified: it contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. What matters here is the interplay of various nutrients from a varied diet - a single high-dose preparation does not replace this variety and is no miracle cure. It makes more sense to offer the body the building blocks via a colourful, plant-based diet in which vitamin E occurs together with other valuable nutrients from oils, nuts and vegetables.

The best vitamin E foods

The following values are orientation figures in milligrams of alpha-tocopherol equivalent per 100 grams and can vary depending on variety and processing:

• Wheat germ oil: around 150-190 mg - by far the richest source
• Sunflower oil: about 40-60 mg
• Sunflower seeds: around 35 mg
• Hazelnuts: about 25 mg
• Almonds: around 25 mg
• Rapeseed oil and olive oil: depending on variety 15-25 mg
• Peanuts: about 10 mg
• Avocado: around 2 mg, but edible in larger portions
• Green leafy vegetables like spinach: provide smaller but valuable amounts

Even a tablespoon of high-quality oil or a small handful of nuts contributes noticeably to the daily amount - vitamin E is therefore well within reach via the diet. Note that the values can vary considerably depending on variety, origin and processing: cold-pressed, native oils generally contain more vitamin E than heavily refined ones, and freshly harvested nuts more than long-stored ones. The rough ranking, however, remains stable, with oils and fat-rich nuts at the top.

How much vitamin E you need per day

As orientation, specialist societies name estimated values for adults in the range of about 11 to 15 milligrams of alpha-tocopherol equivalent per day, depending on sex and age. This amount can as a rule be reached well via a balanced diet with vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, without you having to consciously calculate. A pronounced deficiency is rare in healthy adults with a varied diet and occurs rather with certain illnesses that disturb fat absorption. The values mentioned are guide figures and not rigid limits that you have to hit exactly every day - what matters is the average over the week. Anyone who uses a little good oil daily and regularly nibbles a small portion of nuts usually need not worry about the vitamin E supply in everyday life.

Improve absorption: practical tips

Since vitamin E is fat-soluble, absorption works best together with fat - with oily foods like nuts and oils this is a given anyway. Use high-quality, little-refined oils and add them if possible only after heating, for example over salad or finished dishes, because vitamin E is sensitive to strong heat, light and oxygen. Therefore store oils in the dark and well sealed. Fresh nuts contain more vitamin E than long or improperly stored ones. Combine different sources over the week to secure intake broadly.

When a supplement can make sense

For most healthy people a targeted supplement is not necessary, because a balanced diet with plant fats covers the needs well. In certain situations, however, the supply can be impaired, for example with illnesses that disturb fat absorption in the gut, or with a strongly fat-reduced, one-sided diet over a long time. Important to know: high-dose vitamin E preparations are not automatically better and, with a permanently very high intake, can even have undesirable effects - more is not equal to more benefit here. Therefore do not take a preparation uncritically and certainly not in large amounts over a long time. Anyone who eats a varied diet as a rule needs no additional vitamin E from a can. If you nevertheless consider food supplements or take medication, discuss this beforehand with your doctor.

Vitamin E in the kitchen: using oils correctly

Because vitamin E is sensitive to heat, light and oxygen, the handling in the kitchen decides how much ends up on the plate in the end. Use native, cold-pressed oils preferably for the cold kitchen - that is, for salads, dips or for drizzling over finished dishes - instead of heating them strongly. For frying at high temperatures, more heat-stable oils are suitable, while you rather enjoy the valuable wheat germ or linseed oil raw. Buy oils in dark bottles, seal them well after use and store them cool and protected from light so that they do not turn rancid. With nuts too the rule is: whole, fresh nuts keep vitamin E better than long-stored or ground goods. Small habits like these ensure that the vitamin E content of your foods is largely preserved and not lost through wrong storage or unnecessary heating.

Cleverly building vitamin E into everyday life

The simplest way to a good supply is routine: use high-quality vegetable oils for salads and for refining and keep a small portion of nuts ready as a snack. Sprinkle sunflower or pumpkin seeds over salads, muesli or soups and stir a spoonful of almond butter into yoghurt or porridge. An avocado on bread provides not only vitamin E but also the necessary fat for the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamin. Anyone who cooks in a varied way with plant fats and combines different oils, nuts and seeds over the week covers their needs quite incidentally via the plate, without having to calculate. A muesli with nuts and seeds in the morning, a salad with good oil at midday and a handful of almonds as a snack quickly add up to a solid daily amount. This keeps the supply relaxed and suitable for everyday life, quite without preparations.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Which food contains the most vitamin E?

Wheat germ oil, at around 150 to 190 milligrams per 100 grams, is the richest source. Sunflower oil, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts and almonds also provide a lot of vitamin E. Even small amounts contribute noticeably to the daily supply.

How much vitamin E do I need per day?

For adults, specialist societies name estimated values of about 11 to 15 milligrams of alpha-tocopherol equivalent per day, depending on sex and age. This amount can be reached well with oils, nuts and seeds in a mixed diet.

Is vitamin E lost during cooking?

Vitamin E is sensitive to strong heat, light and oxygen. Therefore add high-quality oils if possible only after heating and store them in the dark and well sealed to keep losses low.

Can I absorb too much vitamin E?

Via normal foods a harmful oversupply is unlikely. High-dose preparations, by contrast, you should not take uncritically, since a permanently very high intake can have undesirable effects.

Do I get enough vitamin E as a vegan?

Yes. Vitamin E is found above all in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. A plant-based diet with high-quality fats covers the needs as a rule without problems.