Natural Vitamin E Mixed Tocopherols by Ortho Molecular Products

This is for people looking for vitamin E mixed tocopherols rather than alpha-only capsules. It fits those with low dietary intake of nuts and seeds, very low–fat diets, or fat-malabsorption (after bariatric surgery, with chronic pancreatitis, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, or on orlistat, the fat-blocking drug). If your Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), serum is low, mixed tocopherols replete and maintain both alpha and gamma forms. For general prevention without deficiency, this dose is often more than you need.

Vitamin E is a family of fat-soluble antioxidants that sit in cell and lipoprotein membranes and neutralize free radicals before they damage fats and proteins. Alpha-tocopherol is best retained in blood, but high alpha alone can lower gamma-tocopherol, the form most common in food. Mixed tocopherols restore that balance. They help limit oxidation of LDL particles (the cholesterol carriers linked to plaque) and reduce lipid peroxidation, which explains small shifts in hs-CRP (a general inflammation marker) in some studies. Large trials have not shown broad heart-disease or cancer prevention from routine high-dose E.

Take 1 softgel daily with a meal that contains fat, and only use 2 daily under clinician guidance. This is a high dose compared with multivitamin levels, intended for repletion or targeted use. Blood levels of alpha-tocopherol respond within 4 to 8 weeks. If you also take fish oil, a combined meal is fine. If your level is significantly low, plan on retesting Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), serum after 8 to 12 weeks.

Skip high-dose vitamin E if you take warfarin or other blood thinners, or if you have a bleeding disorder, unless your prescriber agrees and monitors. Use caution with dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin plus clopidogrel). Do not start around chemotherapy or radiation without oncology input. A past trial linked long-term high-dose alpha-tocopherol to higher prostate cancer risk, so routine use for disease prevention is not advised.