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E5.0
Vitamin E Research
Likely helps
579 peer-reviewed studies
What the evidence says
Likely helps
Vitamin E appears to help in 20 of 24 studies with measurable effects — the evidence leans clearly favourable.
Most evidence is from high-quality meta-analyses and randomised trials published 1978–2026 with a typical study size of 351 participants.
Based on 578 studies · 93 meta-analyses · 417 RCTs · 649,067 total participants
Confidence
High confidence
What the studies found
20helped3unclear1didn't help· 554 more without graded effect data
By outcome
Heart & blood pressureLarge trials show no cardiovascular benefit; high doses may raise heart-failure risk · 8-12 weeks
Likely helps473 studies
InflammationMeta-analyses show a modest reduction in CRP and some inflammatory markers · 8-12 weeks
Likely helps69 studies
Therapeutic & clinical
Likely helps67 studies
Women's healthOnly modest, delayed hot-flash relief; estrogen far more effective · 4-8 weeks · Antioxidant vitamins eased dysmenorrhea in some trials; vitamin E alone unconfirmed · 1-3 cycles
Mostly mechanism / observational39 studies
Glucose & metabolic
Mostly mechanism / observational29 studies
Cholesterol & lipidsLarge trials show no cardiovascular benefit; high doses may raise heart-failure risk · 8-12 weeks
Mostly mechanism / observational26 studies
Liver health
Probably helps23 studies
Safety profile
Probably helps18 studies
Cognitive function
Mostly mechanism / observational11 studies
Neuroprotection & brain agingLimited signal slowing tardive-dyskinesia worsening; no broad cognitive benefit · Ongoing
Mostly mechanism / observational11 studies
Men's vitality
Mostly mechanism / observational11 studies
Recovery
Mostly mechanism / observational11 studies
Vision & eye health
Mostly mechanism / observational10 studies
Immune support
Mostly mechanism / observational8 studies
Skin healthAntioxidant; oral skin-appearance evidence is modest/weak · 12 weeks · Plausible antioxidant role but little oral-supplement evidence for skin · 4-8 weeks
Mostly mechanism / observational5 studies
Fertility & reproductive
Mostly mechanism / observational5 studies
Joint pain & arthritis
Mostly mechanism / observational5 studies
Endurance & exercise performance
Mostly mechanism / observational4 studies
Bone health
Too few graded studies2 studies
Depression & mood
Too few graded studies1 study
Anxiety & stress
Too few graded studies1 study
By the numbers
Pulled from 78 studies with measurable effects
Likely real effects
80%
across studies
People studied
649k
typical study: 351 people
Strongest designs
510
93 pooled, 417 randomised
Showed benefit
83%
20/24 studies
How long studies ran
1–4 weeks
1
1–3 months
4
3+ months
2
Populations Studied
General population8
Adults with type 2 diabetes2
Patients with NAFLD2
Adults2
Steady research
154 studies in the last 5 years · Latest meta-analysis: 2026
Lyons S, Kearney M, Fahey MC, Janjal P, Pandolfo M, Patton P. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (2026)
Cardiac abnormalities cause premature death in 60% of people with FRDA.
We calculated the mean difference (MD) or standardised mean difference (SMD) for continuous outcomes, and the risk ratio (RR) for dichotomous outcomes, all with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
All of the studies enroled both males and females, with the proportion of female participants ranging from 21% to 58%.
2Fasting blood glucose reductionMeta-AnalysisCited 31×n=14,223 · very large study2023
Low to very low certainty evidence established chromium supplements as the most effective in reducing fasting blood glucose levels and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (SUCRAs: 90...
Xia J et al. · Pharmacological research (2023)
Low to very low certainty evidence established chromium supplements as the most effective in reducing fasting blood glucose levels and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (SUCRAs: 90.4% and 78.3%, respectively).
Vitamin K supplements ranked best in reducing glycated hemoglobin A1c and fasting insulin levels (SUCRAs: 97.0% and 82.3%, respectively), with moderate to very low certainty evidence.
Vanadium supplements ranked best in lowering total cholesterol levels with very low evidence certainty (SUCRAs:100%).
3Systolic blood pressure reductionMeta-AnalysisCited 12×n=2,218 · very large study2024
According to the results, vitamin E might be an effective measure to reduce SBP, but more research is needed to validate this finding.
Qi S et al. · BMJ open (2024)
Noticeable benefit
← WorseNo effectBetter →
Among the five vitamins, only vitamin E was significantly more effective at reducing SBP (mean difference: -14.14 mm Hg, 95% credible intervals: -27.62 to -0.88) than placebo.
The dose of vitamins, geographical region and percentage of males (only SBP) might be sources of heterogeneity.
According to the results, vitamin E might be an effective measure to reduce SBP, but more research is needed to validate this finding.
4Glycemic control improvementMeta-AnalysisCited 42×n=2,171 · very large study2023
In conclusion, vitamin E intake has a beneficial role in improving HbA1c and insulin resistance in a population with diabetes.
Asbaghi O et al. · Nutrition journal (2023)
However, in subgroup analyses, we found that vitamin E intake significantly reduced fasting blood glucose in studies with an intervention duration of < 10 weeks.
In conclusion, vitamin E intake has a beneficial role in improving HbA1c and insulin resistance in a population with diabetes.
Moreover, short-term interventions with vitamin E have resulted in lower fasting blood glucose in these patients.
6Joint pain, swelling, and stiffness in rheumatoid arthritisMeta-AnalysisCited 16×n=39,845 · very large study2023
Vitamin E's ability to restore the intestinal barrier and improve the gastrointestinal tract may be linked to the prevention and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Kou H et al. · European journal of clinical nutrition (2023)
Vitamin E's ability to restore the intestinal barrier and improve the gastrointestinal tract may be linked to the prevention and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Vitamin E supplements used on a regular basis can help individuals with RA reduce joint discomfort, edema, and stiffness, as well as enhance their overall quality of life.
7Aspartate aminotransferase reductionMeta-AnalysisCited 39×n=794 · large study2023
Regarding aspartate aminotransferase (AST), patients in the experimental group experienced a reduction in serum levels, though smaller in absolute values [AST MD = -4.65 IU/L, 95% CI (-7.44, -1.86) in studies conducted in Asian populations] and of lower precision in non-Asian studies [MD = -5.60 IU/L, 95% CI (-11.48, 0.28)].
Vogli S et al. · Nutrients (2023)
Noticeable benefit
← WorseNo effectBetter →
Three electronic databases (MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and Embase) were reviewed for randomized trials that tested vitamin E supplementation versus placebo or no intervention in patients with NAFLD, published until April 2023.
A total of 794 patients from 12 randomized trials were included in this meta-analysis.
8Endometriosis related pelvic pain reductionMeta-AnalysisCited 40×n=589 · large study2023
The included studies support the potential role of antioxidant vitamins in the management of endometriosis.
Zheng SH et al. · Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E (2023)
Conversely, supplementation of vitamin D was associated with a reduction in pelvic pain in endometriosis patients, but the difference was not statistically significant compared to the placebo.
Furthermore, the inflammatory markers in peritoneal fluid, including RANTES, interleukin-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, significantly decreased after antioxidant therapy.
The included studies support the potential role of antioxidant vitamins in the management of endometriosis.
9Major cardiovascular eventsMeta-AnalysisCited 136×n=188,209 · very large study2013
Antioxidant vitamin supplementation has no effect on the incidence of major cardiovascular events, myocardial infarction, stroke, total death, and cardiac death.
Ye Y, Li J, Yuan Z · PLoS One (2013)
No clear effect
← WorseNo effectBetter →
Antioxidant vitamin supplementation as compared to placebo had no effect on major cardiovascular events (RR, 1.00; 95%CI, 0.96-1.03).
No effect on myocardial infarction (RR, 0.98; 95%CI, 0.92-1.04), stroke (RR, 0.99; 95%CI, 0.93-1.05), or total death (RR, 1.03; 95%CI, 0.98-1.07).
15 trials reporting data on 188,209 participants were included (vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C).
10PCOS biomarkersMeta-AnalysisCited 20×n=504 · large study2022
This meta-analysis highlights the potential anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin E supplementation alone or in combination with omega-3 or magnesium on PCOS patients.
Heidari H et al. · Scientific reports (2022)
No significant effect was found on HDL-c, glycemic indices, hormonal profile, anthropometric measurements, and other biomarkers of inflammation or oxidative stress.
This meta-analysis highlights the potential anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin E supplementation alone or in combination with omega-3 or magnesium on PCOS patients.
11Placental abruption preventionMeta-AnalysisCited 104×n=19,023 · very large study2015
The data do not support routine vitamin E supplementation in combination with other supplements for the prevention of stillbirth, neonatal death, preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, preterm or term PROM or poor fetal growth.
Rumbold A et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (2015)
Large benefit
← WorseNo effectBetter →
Women supplemented with vitamin E in combination with other supplements compared with placebo were at decreased risk of having a placental abruption (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.93, seven trials, 14,922 participants, I² = 0%; high quality evidence).
The data do not support routine vitamin E supplementation in combination with other supplements for the prevention of stillbirth, neonatal death, preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, preterm or term PROM or poor fetal growth.
Further research is required to elucidate the possible role of vitamin E in the prevention of placental abruption.
12Serum alkaline phosphatase reductionMeta-AnalysisCited 18×n=351 · medium study2024
Given the very low certainty evidence, we do not know if long-term treatment (18 months to 24 months) with vitamin E administered alone affects all-cause mortality, serious adverse events, quality of life, or non-serious adverse events in people with NAFLD when compared with placebo or no intervention.
Wen H et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (2024)
Noticeable benefit
← WorseNo effectBetter →
Vitamin E may slightly reduce serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels (MD -5.21, 95% CI -9.88 to -0.54; 5 trials, 416 participants; very low certainty evidence), but the evidence is very uncertain.
We found no data on liver-related mortality, liver-related morbidity, or proportion of participants without a decrease in liver enzymes.
Vitamin E likely reduces ALT and AST slightly when compared with placebo, but whether this has any impact on the clinical course in people with NAFLD is unknown.
13Serum CRP levelsMeta-AnalysisCited 79×n=2,102 · very large study2020
Future high-quality RCTs should be conducted to translate this anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin E to the clinical setting.
Asbaghi O et al. · Scientific reports (2020)
Noticeable benefit
← WorseNo effectBetter →
Likely real
Based on 36 effect sizes from 26 RCTs on serum concentrations of CRP, we found a significant reduction following supplementation with vitamin E (- 0.52, 95% CI - 0.80, - 0.23 mg/L, P < 0.001).
Considering different chemical forms of vitamin E, α-tocopherol, unlike other forms, had a reducing effect on serum levels of CRP and IL-6.
In conclusion, our findings revealed a beneficial effect of vitamin E supplementation, particularly in the form of α-tocopherol, on subclinical inflammation in adults.
Meta-analyses were conducted to compare vitamin E and placebo supplementations to obtain a 95% confidence interval (95%IC).
de Lima KS et al. · International journal of sports medicine (2024)
Meta-analyses were conducted to compare vitamin E and placebo supplementations to obtain a 95% confidence interval (95%IC).
Compared to placebo, vitamin E had no effects on lipid (95%IC= -0.09 to 0.42), protein (-2.44 to 3.11), SOD (-1.05 to 0.23), interleukin-6 (-0.18 to 1.16), creatine kinase (-0.33 to 0.27), muscle soreness (-1.92 to 0.69), and muscle strength (-1.07 to 0.34).
Heterogeneity for the analyses on carbonyls, interleukin-6 (1 h and 3 h), and muscle soreness ranged between 70 to 94%.