Tocopherol - Supplements

Supplements

Commercial vitamin E supplements can be classified into several distinct categories:

• Fully synthetic vitamin E, "dl-alpha-tocopherol", the most inexpensive, most commonly sold supplement form usually as the acetate ester;
• Semi-synthetic "natural source" vitamin E esters, the "natural source" forms used in tablets and multiple vitamins. These are highly fractionated d-alpha tocopherol or its esters, often made by synthetic methylation of gamma and beta d,d,d tocopherol vitamers extracted from plant oils.
• Less fractionated "natural mixed tocopherols" and high d-gamma-tocopherol fraction supplements