Vitamin E for UV Protection
Vitamin E contributes little alone and only modestly when combined with vitamin C.
Overview
Verdict
How It Works
Dosing & Protocol
Typical dose
- Recommended dose
- Dietary adequacy; avoid high-dose supplements
- Expected timeframe
- 12 weeks
Protocol
- form
- Topical tocopherol combined with L-ascorbic acid and ferulic acid; oral alpha-tocopherol has minimal photoprotective effect
- duration
- Topical studies measured minimal erythema dose after days of application
- co factor
- Evidence is insufficient for meaningful protection. The combination of topical vitamin C and vitamin E does raise the minimal erythema dose measurably - Lin and colleagues showed 15% ascorbic acid with 1% alpha-tocopherol and ferulic acid provided photoprotection - but the effect corresponds to roughly SPF 2-4. Oral vitamin E with vitamin C produced small increases in erythema threshold in some studies and none in others. Antioxidants quench UV-generated free radicals after they form, whereas sunscreen blocks or absorbs the UV itself.
- titration
- Not applicable - no dose provides meaningful UV protection
- starting dose
- Not a substitute for sunscreen. Topical studies used 1% alpha-tocopherol with 15% ascorbic acid; oral studies used 400 IU/day of vitamin E with 2,000 mg of vitamin C
Evidence
What the studies say
Vitamin E and the risk of prostate cancer: the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT)
Klein EA, et al
Dietary supplementation with vitamin E significantly increased the risk of prostate cancer among healthy men.
Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT): null and adverse findings
Klein EA, Thompson IM, Tangen CM +18 more
Vitamin E supplementation significantly increased prostate cancer risk by 17%
Safety
Caveats
High-dose vitamin E is associated with increased all-cause mortality.
Less likely to help if
Medical Disclaimer
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Individual results may vary. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.