Estimation of the Human Daily Requirement of Vitamin E by Turnover Kinetics of Labeled RRR-[alpha]-Tocopherol

• Published in: Nutrition reviews Vol. 65; no. 1; p. 46
• Main Author: Wolf, George
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.01.2007
• Subjects: Aqueous solutions; Diet; Human subjects; Mass spectrometry; Nutrition; Plasma; Vitamin E
• ISSN: 0029-6643; 1753-4887

The human daily requirement of α-tocopherol was estimated by a determination of the turnover kinetics of deuterium-labeled RRR-α-tocopherol in two women and three men. The amount of α-tocopherol absorbed varied in proportion to the amount of fat eaten with the vitamin, increasing by 0.43 mg for each gram of fat consumed. A fat-free method for administering α-tocopherol was developed by vacuum impregnation of apples with the vitamin. Even in the absence of fat, about 10% of the administered α-tocopherol was absorbed. The daily requirement of α-tocopherol when consumed with a diet containing 21% fat was estimated to be 15 ± 2 mg, an amount close to the current Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) of 12 mg/d. The study showed that vacuum-impregnated fruit might be a useful way to supplement vitamin E in people eating a low-fat diet. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]