Form Comparison

dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate vs Mixed Tocopherols

How dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate and mixed tocopherols differ in potency, absorption, tolerance, and cost.

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Quick verdict. Synthetic dl-alpha acetate has about half the activity per milligram of natural alpha and supplies no gamma-tocopherol. Mixed tocopherols deliver natural alpha plus gamma and delta and avoid the gamma depletion that alpha-only products cause. Choose mixed tocopherols; synthetic vitamin E is acceptable only as a cheap multivitamin ingredient.

Side by Side

dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate (Synthetic) Mixed Tocopherols
Absorption Moderate High
How it is absorbed A mix of eight stereoisomers. Only the four 2R forms are retained by the liver, so it has about half the activity of the natural form per milligram. Alpha plus substantial gamma- and delta-tocopherol, closer to the mix in food. The liver still retains mainly alpha.
Typical dose Per product Per product
Common uses multivitamins, fortified foods general supplementation
Side effects Bleeding risk at high doses. Bleeding risk at high doses.
Cost Low Moderate
Also called all-rac-alpha-tocopherol natural mixed tocopherols
Labels in index 142 316

When to Choose dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate (Synthetic)

There is rarely a reason to choose dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate: it is cheaper per IU but half as active per milligram. The form used in SELECT at 400 IU daily.

dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate (Synthetic)

There is rarely a reason to choose dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate: it is cheaper per IU but half as active per milligram.

What to look for: dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate named on the Supplement Facts panel, with the amount per serving stated.

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When to Choose Mixed Tocopherols

Choose mixed tocopherols when you want vitamin E closer to its form in food. Avoids the drop in gamma-tocopherol that alpha-only supplements cause. Labels should state each tocopherol.

Mixed Tocopherols

Closer to vitamin E as it occurs in food, and avoids lowering gamma-tocopherol.

What to look for: Each tocopherol listed with its amount; alpha-tocopherol near the RDA.

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Products on Titrate

In Titrate's index of NIH label data, 142 labels named as vitamin E products list dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate and 316 list mixed tocopherols.

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Vitamin E does not have its own search category yet. Each product above links to its full label in the NIH database.

Related

References

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.

The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group. The effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers. N Engl J Med. 1994;330(15):1029-1035.

Huang HY, Appel LJ. Supplementation of diets with alpha-tocopherol reduces serum concentrations of gamma- and delta-tocopherol in humans. J Nutr. 2003;133(10):3137-3140.

Miller ER 3rd, Pastor-Barriuso R, Dalal D, Riemersma RA, Appel LJ, Guallar E. Meta-analysis: high-dosage vitamin E supplementation may increase all-cause mortality. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142(1):37-46.

Lonn E, Bosch J, Yusuf S, et al. Effects of long-term vitamin E supplementation on cardiovascular events and cancer: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2005;293(11):1338-1347.

Sesso HD, Buring JE, Christen WG, et al. Vitamins E and C in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in men: the Physicians' Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2008;300(18):2123-2133.

Sanyal AJ, Chalasani N, Kowdley KV, et al. Pioglitazone, vitamin E, or placebo for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. N Engl J Med. 2010;362(18):1675-1685.

Klein EA, Thompson IM Jr, Tangen CM, et al. Vitamin E and the risk of prostate cancer: the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). JAMA. 2011;306(14):1549-1556.