Explanation

Vitamin E: what is measured?

Vitamin E is a group of fat-soluble substances, of which alpha-tocopherol is the most important. It acts as an antioxidant and protects cells, blood vessels and tissues against damage. It is found in vegetable oils, margarine and low-fat spreads, bread and grain products, nuts, seeds and vegetables. Vitamin E is absorbed together with fat and carried in the blood with fats, so the value moves along with the fat and cholesterol levels in the blood.

What can it detect?

Vitamin E deficiency with a severe disorder of fat absorption, such as with a disease of the liver, pancreas or bowel, after bowel surgery or with long-term feeding through a drip
Too much vitamin E from high-dose supplements

Result

What does the result mean?

Vitamin E too high

A raised vitamin E is usually caused by supplements or by high fat or cholesterol levels in the blood, and according to the Dutch Society for Clinical Chemistry (NVKC) it has little to no meaning. You cannot get too much vitamin E from a normal diet. At high doses, symptoms such as headache, tiredness, nausea, muscle weakness and bowel symptoms have sometimes been reported. In people using blood thinners or with a vitamin K deficiency, a lot of vitamin E can inhibit blood clotting.

Vitamin E too low

A low vitamin E is mainly caused by poor absorption of fat in the gut, for example with a disease of the liver, pancreas or bowel, after bowel surgery or with long-term feeding through a drip. As far as is known, diet alone does not cause a deficiency in the Netherlands. A low value can also be caused by a low fat level in the blood and then does not necessarily point to a deficiency. A severe deficiency can cause anemia, muscle weakness and nerve symptoms.

After an abnormal result

With a low value, the GP assesses the result together with the blood fat values and, with a true deficiency, looks for a cause of poor fat absorption, usually in consultation with an internist (specialist in internal medicine) or gastroenterologist. With a raised value due to supplements, especially when using blood thinners, the advice is usually to stop the supplements.

Reliability

How reliable is the test?

The test is mainly used with conditions causing poor fat absorption and with unexplained nerve symptoms. Because the value moves along with the fat and cholesterol levels in the blood, an abnormal result is preferably assessed together with those values. A single value without risk factors has little meaning.

What can affect the result?

A low or high fat and cholesterol level in the blood lowers or raises the value, regardless of the stores.
Supplements raise the value; according to the NVKC, laxatives, the contraceptive pill and aspirin can lower it.
Reference values differ per laboratory.

Preparation

Do not eat anything for 12 hours before the sample is taken and drink only water. Vitamin E comes with fat from your food, so the value is higher after a meal.

Who it is for

Who is the test useful for?

Useful for

Only useful with conditions that severely disturb fat absorption, such as diseases of the liver, pancreas or bowel, after bowel surgery or with long-term feeding through a drip, and with unexplained nerve symptoms in those situations. In healthy people without symptoms the result says little; with a normal diet a deficiency is virtually ruled out.

How common is it?

According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum), as far as is known, vitamin E deficiency does not occur in healthy people in the Netherlands; it only develops with very severe disorders in the absorption of nutrients. Too much vitamin E only occurs with long-term use of high-dose supplements.

Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum)

Drawbacks and risks

A low value due to a low fat level in the blood can wrongly be seen as a deficiency and lead to unnecessary supplements or unnecessary testing.

Get tested

Vitamin E: test panels

Vitamin E is part of these test panels. You order online and have your blood drawn at a collection point or collect the sample at home.

Blood draw
Vitamin E
Vitamin E; antioxidant status.
€ 41,00
Fingerstick
Vitamin E
Vitamin E; antioxidant status.
€ 41,00

Evidence

Sources

This explanation is based on Dutch guidelines and independent information. It is general information, not a diagnosis. Discuss an abnormal result with your GP.

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