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The tolerable upper intake level (UL), or upper limit, for vitamin E is 1,000 mg a day for adults 19 and older. That is the most a day that is unlikely to cause harm for almost everyone; above it, the chance of side effects goes up. It is a ceiling, not a target. The limit counts any form of supplemental alpha-tocopherol, from supplements and fortified foods, not the vitamin E naturally in food.
Check your amount
Servings a day
This limit is the same for adults 19 and older, including pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Type the amount from your label to compare it with the upper limit.
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Vitamin E upper limits by age
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | Not set | Not set | – | – |
| 7-12 months | Not set | Not set | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 200 mg | 200 mg | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 300 mg | 300 mg | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 600 mg | 600 mg | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 800 mg | 800 mg | 800 mg | 800 mg |
| 19-30 years | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg |
| 31-50 years | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg |
| 51-70 years | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg | – | – |
| 71+ years | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg | – | – |
No upper limit could be set for babies; the National Academies say their intake should come from food and formula only.
How much Vitamin E you need
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 4 mg* | 4 mg* | – | – |
| 7-12 months | 5 mg* | 5 mg* | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 6 mg | 6 mg | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 7 mg | 7 mg | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 11 mg | 11 mg | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 15 mg | 15 mg | 15 mg | 19 mg |
| 19-30 years | 15 mg | 15 mg | 15 mg | 19 mg |
| 31-50 years | 15 mg | 15 mg | 15 mg | 19 mg |
| 51-70 years | 15 mg | 15 mg | – | – |
| 71+ years | 15 mg | 15 mg | – | – |
* Adequate Intake (AI): the amount set when there isn’t enough evidence for an RDA.
What counts toward the Vitamin E limit
The limit counts any form of supplemental alpha-tocopherol, from supplements and fortified foods, not the vitamin E naturally in food.
Labels list vitamin E in mg of alpha-tocopherol, older ones in IU. For the upper limit, which counts every form of supplemental alpha-tocopherol, 1 IU of natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) is 0.67 mg and 1 IU of synthetic vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol) is about 0.91 mg (National Academies, 2000, Table 6-1), so the 1,000 mg limit is about 1,500 IU natural or 1,100 IU synthetic. Labels since 2020 list synthetic vitamin E in mg of alpha-tocopherol, which is half the amount of synthetic vitamin E in the product (FDA: 1 mg on the label = 2 mg of dl-alpha-tocopherol), so for the upper limit a synthetic vitamin E amount in mg counts double.
What happens with too much Vitamin E
The National Academies' vitamin E report (IOM 2000) based the UL on "the adverse effect of increased tendency to hemorrhage" (bleeding), selected as the critical endpoint. It says "individuals who are deficient in vitamin K or who are on anticoagulant therapy are at increased risk of coagulation defects" and that "patients on anticoagulant therapy should be monitored when taking vitamin E supplements."
Sources: National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D (2011); Health Canada, Dietary Reference Intakes tables (the joint U.S.-Canada values); National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids (2000). Limits checked November 8, 2026. More from the NIH: Office of Dietary Supplements Vitamin E fact sheet.
If you think you or a child took too much of a supplement, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S., free, 24 hours) or use poison.org. In an emergency, call 911.
General information, not medical advice. Your doctor may recommend a different amount, for example to treat a deficiency. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change a supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medication or have a medical condition.