Risks with High Doses

According to the IOM, vitamin E is relatively safe at doses as high as 1,000 mg/day [11], Short-term administration of doses as high as 3,200 mg/day has not been found to be toxic, but adverse effects have been reported with extended intake of 1,100–2,100 mg/day of α-tocopherol [11, 43]. Reported adverse effects include increased risk of bleeding, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, reduced immunity, and transiently raised blood pressure. Some research suggests that very high doses may be pro-oxidant (i.e., acting as free radicals), especially in smokers [45, 46].