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The Promotion of Vitamin E^1,2,

Departments of Biochemistry and Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104

Investigations that have influenced the promotion of vitamin E supplementation are reviewed. The various forms of vitamin E found in foods and the composition of synthetic vitamin E in common use are described with note of a frequent error of identification made in reports of studies on vitamin E. Recent communications on the use of antioxidants to delay carcinogenesis in animals and in humans are discussed. The publicity given the reports of cancer prevention by antioxidants will probably increase self-supplementations. It is therefore necessary to understand the pharmacological limits of such supplementation with vitamin E. Daily supplementation of adults with about 200 mg of d--tocopherol equivalents per day has not been proven to be harmful, but the effects of ingestion of more than 800 mg a day have not been studied sufficiently. Special precautions should be taken in administering emulsified vitamin E preparations intravenously to premature infants.

KEY WORDS: • vitamin E • tocopherol • tumor • cancer • antioxidants

¹ Presented as part of the History of Nutrition symposium given by the American Institute of Nutrition at the 69th Annual Meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Anaheim, CA, April 21–26, 1985. Chaired by D. A. Roe.

² Publication of this symposium was supported by the National Diary Council.

Manuscript received 9 October 1985. Revision accepted 18 March 1986.