{
  "dataset": "vitamin-e-cost-by-brand",
  "title": "Vitamin E Supplements Compared — natural vs synthetic, alpha vs mixed/tocotrienol, and dose vs the harm-signal threshold",
  "sourcePage": "https://verifiedsupplementdata.com/vitamin-e/best-overall/",
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Verified Supplement Data (2026), Vitamin E Cost & Form Comparison",
  "dateModified": "2026-07-17",
  "methodology": "Three label axes: natural d-alpha-tocopherol vs synthetic dl-alpha (natural ~2x more active per IU; NIH ODS); alpha-only vs mixed tocopherols / gamma-tocotrienol; and DOSE. iuAlpha = alpha-tocopherol IU per serving; highDoseAlpha flags products at/above 400 IU of alpha-tocopherol (excluding low-alpha gamma/tocotrienol products). \"verdict\": gamma-tocotrienol / natural-mixed / natural-alpha / synthetic. IMPORTANT: this is a \"more is not better\" category. The strongest, most independent trials found NO cardiovascular or cancer-prevention benefit and signals of HARM at >=400 IU: a heart-failure signal (HOPE-TOO, Lonn 2005 PMID 15769967), increased prostate cancer (SELECT, Klein 2011 PMID 21990298, HR 1.17), and increased all-cause mortality at high dose (Miller 2005 PMID 15537682) — the latter mostly in chronically-ill populations. No CV benefit in HOPE (PMID 10639540). The one positive niche is biopsy-proven NASH in non-diabetics at 800 IU (PIVENS, Sanyal 2010 PMID 20427778). \"Best\" here means avoiding the harm-flagged high-dose alpha and preferring natural/mixed forms, NOT cheapest. This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA; these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.",
  "headline": {
    "productsCompared": 12,
    "harmSignalIU": 400,
    "highDoseAlpha": 9,
    "synthetic": 2,
    "natural": 7,
    "gammaTocotrienol": 3,
    "cheapestNaturalMixedBrand": "NOW Foods",
    "note": "9 of 12 products are the high-dose (>=400 IU) alpha-tocopherol form where large trials found harm signals, and 2 are the synthetic dl-alpha that is ~half as active. The differentiated options are lower-dose, natural mixed-tocopherol, or gamma/tocotrienol."
  },
  "columns": [
    "brand",
    "product",
    "slug",
    "form",
    "verdict",
    "iuAlpha",
    "isSynthetic",
    "highDoseAlpha",
    "servings",
    "price",
    "costPerServing",
    "thirdParty"
  ],
  "units": {
    "iuAlpha": "IU alpha-tocopherol",
    "price": "USD",
    "costPerServing": "USD/serving"
  },
  "citations": [
    {
      "claim": "No cardiovascular benefit from 400 IU/day vitamin E (HOPE trial).",
      "source": "HOPE Study Investigators (Yusuf S et al.) 2000, N Engl J Med",
      "pmid": "10639540"
    },
    {
      "claim": "No cancer/CV benefit long-term; heart-failure signal RR 1.13 (HOPE-TOO).",
      "source": "Lonn E, et al. 2005, JAMA",
      "pmid": "15769967"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Vitamin E 400 IU increased prostate cancer risk (SELECT, HR 1.17).",
      "source": "Klein EA, et al. 2011, JAMA",
      "pmid": "21990298"
    },
    {
      "claim": "High-dose (>=400 IU/day) vitamin E associated with increased all-cause mortality.",
      "source": "Miller ER 3rd, et al. 2005, Ann Intern Med",
      "pmid": "15537682"
    }
  ],
  "products": [
    {
      "brand": "Doctor's Best",
      "product": "Vitamin E Tocotrienols (TocoGaia) (60 Softgels)",
      "slug": "doctors-best-tocotrienols",
      "form": "Tocotrienol-dominant (low alpha)",
      "iuAlpha": 20,
      "isSynthetic": false,
      "highDoseAlpha": false,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 19.99,
      "costPerServing": 0.33,
      "verdict": "gamma-tocotrienol",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Life Extension",
      "product": "Gamma E Mixed Tocopherols (60 Softgels)",
      "slug": "life-extension-gamma-e",
      "form": "Gamma-tocopherol mixed (low alpha)",
      "iuAlpha": 45,
      "isSynthetic": false,
      "highDoseAlpha": false,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 24,
      "costPerServing": 0.4,
      "verdict": "gamma-tocotrienol",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Life Extension",
      "product": "Gamma E Mixed Tocopherols & Tocotrienols (60 Softgels)",
      "slug": "life-extension-gamma-e-tocotrienols",
      "form": "Gamma-tocopherol + tocotrienols (low alpha)",
      "iuAlpha": 45,
      "isSynthetic": false,
      "highDoseAlpha": false,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 29.4,
      "costPerServing": 0.49,
      "verdict": "gamma-tocotrienol",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "NOW Foods",
      "product": "NOW Vitamin E-400 with Mixed Tocopherols (100 Softgels)",
      "slug": "now-vitamin-e-400-mixed",
      "form": "Natural d-alpha + mixed tocopherols",
      "iuAlpha": 400,
      "isSynthetic": false,
      "highDoseAlpha": true,
      "servings": 100,
      "price": 14.29,
      "costPerServing": 0.14,
      "verdict": "natural-mixed",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Solgar",
      "product": "Vitamin E 268 mg (400 IU) d-Alpha + Mixed Tocopherols (100 Softgels)",
      "slug": "solgar-vitamin-e-400-mixed",
      "form": "Natural d-alpha + mixed tocopherols",
      "iuAlpha": 400,
      "isSynthetic": false,
      "highDoseAlpha": true,
      "servings": 100,
      "price": 13.74,
      "costPerServing": 0.14,
      "verdict": "natural-mixed",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Pure Encapsulations",
      "product": "Vitamin E with Mixed Tocopherols (90 Softgels)",
      "slug": "pure-encap-vitamin-e",
      "form": "Natural d-alpha + mixed tocopherols",
      "iuAlpha": 400,
      "isSynthetic": false,
      "highDoseAlpha": true,
      "servings": 90,
      "price": 37.5,
      "costPerServing": 0.42,
      "verdict": "natural-mixed",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Metagenics",
      "product": "Vitamin E Mixed Tocopherols E Complex 1:1 (60 Softgels)",
      "slug": "metagenics-vitamin-e-mixed",
      "form": "Natural mixed tocopherols",
      "iuAlpha": 400,
      "isSynthetic": false,
      "highDoseAlpha": true,
      "servings": 30,
      "price": 33.95,
      "costPerServing": 1.13,
      "verdict": "natural-mixed",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Nature's Bounty",
      "product": "Vitamin E 400 IU Natural d-Alpha (120 Softgels)",
      "slug": "natures-bounty-vitamin-e-400-natural",
      "form": "Natural d-alpha, alpha-only",
      "iuAlpha": 400,
      "isSynthetic": false,
      "highDoseAlpha": true,
      "servings": 120,
      "price": 9.99,
      "costPerServing": 0.08,
      "verdict": "natural-alpha",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "NOW Foods",
      "product": "NOW Vitamin E-400 IU d-Alpha Tocopheryl (250 Softgels)",
      "slug": "now-vitamin-e-400-dalpha",
      "form": "Natural d-alpha, alpha-only",
      "iuAlpha": 400,
      "isSynthetic": false,
      "highDoseAlpha": true,
      "servings": 250,
      "price": 27.39,
      "costPerServing": 0.11,
      "verdict": "natural-alpha",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Puritan's Pride",
      "product": "Vitamin E 400 IU Natural d-Alpha (100 Softgels)",
      "slug": "puritans-pride-vitamin-e-400",
      "form": "Natural d-alpha, alpha-only",
      "iuAlpha": 400,
      "isSynthetic": false,
      "highDoseAlpha": true,
      "servings": 100,
      "price": 19.52,
      "costPerServing": 0.2,
      "verdict": "natural-alpha",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Nature Made",
      "product": "Vitamin E 180 mg (400 IU) dl-Alpha (100 Softgels, USP)",
      "slug": "nature-made-vitamin-e-400-dl",
      "form": "SYNTHETIC dl-alpha",
      "iuAlpha": 400,
      "isSynthetic": true,
      "highDoseAlpha": true,
      "servings": 100,
      "price": 7.49,
      "costPerServing": 0.07,
      "verdict": "synthetic",
      "thirdParty": "USP Verified"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Nature's Bounty",
      "product": "Vitamin E 400 IU Pure dl-Alpha (120 Softgels)",
      "slug": "natures-bounty-vitamin-e-400-dl",
      "form": "SYNTHETIC dl-alpha",
      "iuAlpha": 400,
      "isSynthetic": true,
      "highDoseAlpha": true,
      "servings": 120,
      "price": 19.94,
      "costPerServing": 0.17,
      "verdict": "synthetic",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    }
  ]
}