Vitamin E intakes and sources in the United States.

Twenty-four-hour-recall data from 11,658 adults interviewed in the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) were used to estimate intakes of vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the United States. Although mean intakes of vitamin E were close to the recommended dietary allowance for both men and women (9.6 and 7.0 mg/d, respectively), median intakes were considerably lower (7.3 and 5.4 mg/d). If a ratio of vitamin E to PUFAs of greater than or equal to 0.4 is considered desirable, 23% of men and 15% of women had diets with low ratios. Ratios tended to decrease as PUFAs in the diet increased. The fruits-and-vegetables group and the fats-and-oils group each provided 20% of the vitamin E in the US diet. Increasing food choices from the fruits-and-vegetables group would provide low-fat sources of vitamin E for individuals whose intakes are likely to be inadequate.