Define the Sources of Vitamin E?

Vitamin E is present in almost all foodstuffs. It is found in wheat germ, corn, nuts, seeds, olives, spinach, asparagus and other green leafy vegetables and vegetable oils like groundnut, soy, cotton seed and safflower are rich sources. The vitamin E content of edible oils is usually proportional to the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acid content of the oils. Table 7.4 gives the vitamin E content of some vegetable oils (mg tocopherol/ 100 g).

We may need to understand here that there may be a variation in the α-tocopherol  levels or intake, the variation being ascribed mainly to the type and quantity of dietary  oils used and the proportion of the different homologues in the oils (as highlighted in  Table above). For example, sunflower seed oil contains approximately 50 mg a-tocopherol/100 g in contrast to soybean oil that contains only 10mg/100ml.

Because vitamin E is naturally present in plant-based diets (whole grain cereals, dark  green leafy vegetables, pulses, nuts and oilseeds) and  animal products (such as egg yolk, butter and liver) and is often added by manufacturers  to vegetable oils and processed foods, intakes are probably adequate to avoid overt deficiency in most situations. Exceptions may be during ecologic disasters and cultural conflicts resulting in food deprivation and famine.