NOW: E-400 DA 100 SGELS

E-400 DA - 100 SGELS



by   NOW FOODS
*MSRP:
$19.99
Our Price:
$12.00
Buy: at $12.00
(3 for $ 11.99ea. = $ 35.97 ) 40% OFF MSRP
UPC: 733739008374
# N0837

NOW Foods Vitamin E-400 IU (268 mg d-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate) – 100 Softgels

NOW Foods Vitamin E-400 delivers 268 mg (400 International Units) of pure, plant-derived natural d-alpha tocopheryl acetate suspended in heart-healthy organic extra virgin olive oil. This daily fat-soluble antioxidant shields your cell walls against oxidative stress while providing vital nutritional support for your heart, blood vessels, and skin health. Unlike cheap supermarket supplements made from synthetic petroleum byproducts, this natural formula gives your cells the exact biological nutrient they recognize, absorb, and use immediately [1, 2].

Quick Specs Snapshot

  • ✓ Active Form & Potency: 268 mg (400 IU) of natural plant-derived d-alpha tocopheryl acetate per single softgel, supplying 1,787% of your Daily Value.
  • ✓ Primary Cellular Target: Cell membrane lipid bilayers, cardiovascular blood vessels, and skin tissue defenses against everyday free radical damage.
  • ✓ Supply & Value Math: 100 softgels per bottle provide over 3 full months (100 days) of daily antioxidant protection for just pennies per serving.
  • ✓ Formulation Purity: Non-GMO plant source, BSE-free bovine gelatin, carried in pure organic extra virgin olive oil, and packaged in a 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin bottle.

Buyer’s Guide: Natural vs. Synthetic Vitamin E

Why the Form Matters

The type of vitamin E you take makes a huge difference in your body. Cheap drugstore and big-box store brands often use synthetic vitamin E labeled as “dl-alpha tocopherol,” which is chemically manufactured from petroleum byproducts [1]. Synthetic vitamin E is a mixture of eight different mirror-image molecules, but your body can only properly use one of them [1]. Your liver makes a special carrier protein called alpha-tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP) that binds directly to natural d-alpha tocopherol like a key fitting into a lock [1, 2]. This gives natural plant-derived vitamin E twice the biological retention of synthetic options [1]. Bonding natural d-alpha tocopherol with acetate creates a stable ester that protects the delicate nutrient from light and air so it never spoils on the shelf [3].

Is This Formula Right for You?

Ideal For Shoppers Who:

  • ✓ Want verified, plant-derived 400 IU (268 mg) natural vitamin E instead of cheap, petrochemical-derived synthetic formulas [1].
  • ✓ Prefer a clean carrier base of cold-pressed organic extra virgin olive oil over oxidized, highly processed soybean or corn oils.
  • ✓ Seek daily antioxidant support for skin hydration, arterial elasticity, and cellular longevity [2, 3].

Consider Another Option If:

  • ✗ You follow a strict vegan lifestyle (this softgel uses BSE-free bovine gelatin; consider dry vegetarian capsules instead).
  • ✗ You take prescription blood thinners and need medical supervision before taking 400 IU of vitamin E [4].
  • ✗ You have severe fat malabsorption or gallbladder removal and require a water-dispersible dry succinate powder.

Risk-Free Assurance from VitaNet®, LLC: Every bottle is backed by our unconditional 100% money-back guarantee—even on opened bottles, with return shipping covered by us—so you can evaluate this formula with complete peace of mind.

How It Works: Biochemical Pathways in Plain English

To understand how vitamin E protects your body, imagine your cells are like tiny houses. Every room is surrounded by an outer wall called a cell membrane, made largely of delicate fats. Normal metabolism, physical exercise, sunlight, and air pollution create unstable molecules called free radicals (such as reactive oxygen species, O2•−). Think of free radicals like flying sparks from a campfire. When these sparks hit your cell membranes, they cause a damaging chain reaction called lipid peroxidation, which is like fat turning rancid or iron rusting [2].

Vitamin E is fat-soluble, which means it dissolves directly into the fatty walls of your cell membranes [2, 3]. In this formula, natural d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (chemical formula: C31H52O3) travels through your digestive system where natural enzymes called esterases smoothly cleave off the acetate group, releasing pure, active d-alpha tocopherol (C29H50O2) [3].

The Chain-Breaking Cellular Shield

Once inside your cell membrane, d-alpha tocopherol acts like a personal firefighter. When a flying free-radical spark attacks, vitamin E donates one of its own electrons to quench the spark immediately [2]. This stops the destructive chain reaction in its tracks before cell structures can be injured [2]. From there, your liver’s α-TTP protein selectively captures this natural “d-” isomer, packaging it into circulating blood lipoproteins to shield your heart, arteries, red blood cells, and skin tissue [1, 3].

Dosing, Timing, and Helpful Combinations

Optimal Timing & Meal Pairing

Take 1 softgel daily with a meal containing healthy dietary fats [4]. Because vitamin E is fat-soluble, your digestive tract requires dietary lipids to trigger the gallbladder to release bile acids and the pancreas to release digestive enzymes [3]. These fluids create microscopic transport bubbles called micelles, which ferry the vitamin E across your intestinal lining and into your bloodstream [3, 4]. Taking vitamin E on an empty stomach drastically cuts down absorption.

Circadian Routine & Daily Schedule

Because this formula provides 268 mg (400 IU) in a single softgel, you only need one per day. Take your softgel consistently with breakfast or lunch. Vitamin E builds up smoothly in cell walls and fatty tissues, providing stable 24-hour antioxidant defense throughout your waking hours [1].

Smart Synergies & Spacing Rules

  • ✓ The Vitamin C Recharge Team: When vitamin E stops a free radical spark, it temporarily loses an electron. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, C6H8O6) acts like a battery charger, donating an electron back to vitamin E so it can return to defending your cell walls [2].
  • ✗ The 2-Hour Spacing Rule: Space your vitamin E softgel at least 2 hours away from inorganic iron supplements (such as ferrous sulfate) or fat-binding weight-loss products, which can bind together in your digestive tract and reduce absorption [4].

Timeline of Expectations

  • ✓ Week 1 (Uptake & Circulation): The softgel dissolves cleanly; active tocopherol enters circulating blood lipoproteins to protect blood lipids from immediate oxidation [1, 3].
  • ✓ Weeks 3–4 (Cellular Saturation): Continuous daily intake saturates deeper cell membranes, vascular walls, and skin tissue, building an active antioxidant reserve [1].
  • ✓ Months 2–3+ (Long-Term Defense): Sustained tissue equilibrium supports arterial flexibility, skin hydration, and durable cellular defense against daily oxidative wear and tear [2, 3].

Capsule Details, Sensory Notes, and Clean Ingredients

Delivery Format & Swallowability

NOW Vitamin E-400 comes in a smooth, oval bovine gelatin softgel. The slick surface glides down effortlessly with a standard sip of water, eliminating the chalky throat irritation and swallowing difficulty common with large tablets or dry capsules.

Natural Aroma, Taste & Color

When swallowed whole, the softgel is completely odorless and tasteless. Inside, the pure oil has a rich golden-amber appearance. Because NOW Foods uses pure plant extracts and organic extra virgin olive oil without artificial dyes or titanium dioxide, natural color variations from clear golden-yellow to deep amber are completely normal between harvest seasons.

Other Ingredients Demystified

  • ✓ Bovine Gelatin (BSE-free): Certified safe, high-purity protein that creates the airtight capsule shell to protect the delicate oil from oxygen.
  • ✓ Glycerin: A plant-derived moisture holder that keeps the softgel flexible so it will not crack or leak during transit.
  • ✓ Water: Purified water used during the softgel encapsulation process.
  • ✓ Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Cold-pressed, unrefined Mediterranean olive oil rich in oleic acid (C18H34O2) that keeps the fat-soluble vitamin dissolved for gentle, efficient absorption [3, 4].
  • ✓ Non-GMO Highly Refined Soy Source: Sourced from non-GMO soy, but deeply purified through molecular distillation to remove soy proteins, meeting non-allergenic standards.

Storage & Eco-Friendly Packaging

Store your bottle tightly closed in a cool, dry place after opening. Keep it away from steamy bathrooms and sunny window sills. The bottle is molded from 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin, protecting your supplements from UV light while keeping plastic waste out of our landfills and oceans.

Supplement Facts and NOW Quality Standards

Supplement Facts

Serving Size: 1 Softgel

Servings Per Container: 100

Description Amount per Serving % Daily Value
Vitamin E
(as d-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate)
268 mg 1787%

Other Ingredients: Softgel Capsule [bovine gelatin (BSE-free), glycerin, water] and Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Contains soy (Vitamin E from non-GMO soy).

Allergen Notice: Not manufactured with yeast, wheat, gluten, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, or sesame ingredients. Produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens.

Caution: For adults only. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication (especially blood thinners), or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children.

Natural color variation may occur in this product. Store in a cool, dry place after opening. Family owned since 1968. Made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients.

NOW Brand In-House Lab Testing & Contaminant Constraints

Many discount supermarket and big-box store brands cut corners by buying generic bulk softgels from unverified overseas brokers, doing little more than checking a paper certificate before stocking shelves. In contrast, NOW operates industry-leading, ISO/IEC 17025 accredited in-house testing laboratories, performing over 19,000 analytical tests every single month to guarantee absolute safety, potency, and purity.

Curator’s Quality Assurance Note

Curated by the VitaNet®, LLC Nutritional Biochemistry Team. Founded in 1995 as an independent, family-owned health retailer in Hartville, Ohio, VitaNet®, LLC brings over 31 years of direct supplement curation and biochemical expertise to your doorstep. We evaluate raw material sources and verify manufacturer lab testing so you never have to settle for questionable supermarket brands.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between natural d-alpha and synthetic dl-alpha vitamin E?

“d-alpha” is the natural form extracted from plants. Your liver has a dedicated transport protein (α-TTP) that binds directly to this exact shape. “dl-alpha” is a synthetic chemical compound manufactured from petroleum byproducts. Synthetic vitamin E contains eight different mirror-image molecules, but your body only efficiently uses one, making synthetic forms roughly 50% less bioavailable than natural d-alpha [1, 2].

Can I pierce the softgel and apply the oil directly to my skin?

Yes. You can carefully snip the tip of the softgel with clean scissors and squeeze the golden oil directly onto cuticles, dry skin patches, or minor blemishes. Because the carrier oil is organic extra virgin olive oil, it makes a soothing, natural topical moisturizer that delivers direct antioxidant hydration.

Will taking this softgel break an intermittent fast?

Yes, technically it will. The bovine gelatin shell and organic olive oil contain a trace amount of calories (roughly 2 to 3 calories). More importantly, fat-soluble vitamins require dietary fats from a real meal to trigger digestive bile for proper absorption [4]. For best results, take your softgel with your first solid meal when opening your eating window.

Why is Vitamin E bound to acetate in this formula?

Pure unesterified vitamin E oil can oxidize when exposed to air and light. Bonding natural d-alpha tocopherol to an acetate group creates a protective shield that keeps the vitamin potent and stable inside the softgel [3]. Once swallowed, natural digestive enzymes in your gut cleave the acetate bond, releasing 100% pure active d-alpha tocopherol for your cells [3].

Is this product safe for people with soy sensitivities?

While the raw vitamin E is extracted from non-GMO soy, it undergoes rigorous molecular distillation and purification that completely removes allergenic soy proteins. However, because it is produced in a facility that handles diverse ingredients, anyone with a severe, life-threatening soy allergy should consult their physician before use.

Scientific References

  1. Burton, G. W., Traber, M. G., Acuff, R. V., et al. (1998). Human plasma and tissue alpha-tocopherol concentrations in response to supplementation with deuterated natural and synthetic vitamin E. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 67(4), 669–684.
  2. Traber, M. G., & Atkinson, J. (2007). Vitamin E, antioxidant and nothing more. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 43(1), 4–15.
  3. Reboul, E. (2017). Vitamin E Bioavailability: Mechanisms of Intestinal Absorption in the Spotlight. Antioxidants, 6(4), 95.
  4. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Helpful Customer Reviews



Supplemental Information