Vitamin E in pregnancy

Vitamin E helps your body create and maintain red blood cells, healthy skin and eyes, and strengthens your natural immune system¹. It’s best to include a healthy dose of vitamin  E in your pregnancy diet by eating the right foods, rather than taking supplements.

Learn more about the importance of vitamin E in pregnancy, how much you need and why foods sources are the best way to get your recommended daily amount.

How much vitamin E do you need when you’re pregnant?

Although it’s a necessary nutrient for your own health and your baby’s growth, it’s important to stick to a healthy intake of vitamin E during your pregnancy – that means not too much and not too little².

Your recommended daily intake of vitamin E during pregnancy is 3mg, which should be easily achievable by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet¹.

80g raw broccoli contains 1.4mg vitamin E

One handful of walnuts contains 1.9mg vitamin E

Some supplements, such as multi vitamins, can contain high doses of Vitamin E, so to avoid getting too much, make sure any supplements you take are pregnancy-safe and contain no more than 3mg of vitamin per daily dose.

Don't worry about getting too much vitamin E from food – it’s difficult to get vitamin E in high doses from your diet alone.

It’s also worth remembering that because vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, your body can build up stores of it in your liver, ready for when you need it.

Try increasing your intake with these vitamin E-rich snacks and meals:

• A boiled egg with wholemeal toast
• Sliced red pepper and tomatoes dipped in hummus
• A bowl of yoghurt topped with blueberries
• Italian panzanella salad with roast chicken
  
• Thai-style peanut butter prawn noodles
  
• Tomato, prawn & chorizo fusilli
  
• Roast chickpeas & almonds with smoked paprika