Vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol

Roc gets his daily 400 IU vitamin E from AREDs. This is the most common form sold in stores. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin E for adults over 14 years old is 22.4 IU; but it is not the maximum dose. Rather, it is the dose that nutrition experts have decided is sufficient for most people to remain healthy. The AREDS formula contains 400 IU to provide vitamin E beyond usual dietary intake. The AREDS trials found no adverse effects of 400 IU/day vitamin E. It has also been demonstrated that taking 200 IU/day greatly increases the efficacy of vaccinations in adults (ref). Other studies of adults taking more than 1,500 IU/day from natural vitamin E and 1,100 IU/day for synthetic vitamin E observed increased risk of bleeding, including brain bleeds. However, vitamin E can interact with some medications, including blood thinners, chemotherapeutic agents, and lipid-lowering drugs [1].