Study Finds Intake of This Form of Vitamin E Is Insufficient For Many Adults

Vitamin E is commonly referred to as alpha-tocopherol, but other members of the vitamin E family are tocotrienols. Both have strong antioxidant properties, but emerging research indicates tocotrienols may offer unique health benefits.. A new study has found that a large percentage of adults are not consuming the recommended amount of tocotrienols.

The researchers used a food frequency questionnaire and a 24-hour dietary record to assess tocotrienol intake. They included 202 participants between the ages of 18 and 65 in their study. 77% were between the ages of 18 and 25, 60% had normal weight, and 43% consumed dietary supplements.

The food frequency questionnaires showed that the average intake of tocotrienols for women was 2.25 mg/day and 2.14 mg/day for men. This represents 28% and 21% of the recommended intake, respectively.

The 24-hour dietary recall data showed the average intake of tocotrienols was 1.96 mg/day for women and 27.6% for men. This represents 24.4% and 27.6% of the recommended intake, respectively.

The recommended daily intake of tocotrienols is at least 8mg/day, although research is finding larger amounts may help support certain aspects of healthy aging.

The study was conducted by researchers from Warsaw University of Life Sciences. It was published online ahead of print on March 14, 2022 in the journal Biology and Life Sciences Forum.

A previous study found that tocotrienols may help support bone health.