What is Alpha-Tocopherol?
[pronounced: AL-fa to-COUGH-eh-ril | al-fə tō-ˈkä-fə-ˌrȯl]
Given its long name, this infant formula ingredient may seem complicated, but it is really quite common. Alpha-tocopheryl is a shelf-stable form of vitamin E.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E isn’t simply one compound; it refers to a group of eight compounds that are closely related. Vitamin E includes four tocopherols [toe-COUGH-eh-rols] and four tocotrienols [toe-co-TRI-en-ols]. Each form of vitamin E has the same amount and ration of atoms (chemical formula), but their arrangement varies slightly. Their structure is what leads to their role. Vitamin E compounds protect the inside and the outside of cells from damage. They are antioxidants.
Other forms of vitamin E may be used in infant formula, including:
Mixed tocopherols
D-alpha tocopheryl succinate
Sunflower and safflower oils are especially rich in vitamin E. This is one reason why they are common ingredients in infant formulas.
Why Use Letters?
If most vitamins are not a single compound, but a group of compounds, then why do we use letters in their names at all? This naming system goes back to the birth of nutrition science and the work of Kazimierz (Casimir) Funk, a polish biochemist who formulated the idea of vitamins. Vitamin B was the first vitamin named because people who ate foods with this vitamin were less likely to get a disease called beriberi. Eventually, the forms of vitamin B were numbered, but we also know them by their chemical names: thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), and so on.
Measuring Vitamin E
Vitamin E is not measured by weight. It is measured by the amount of activity, biological action, that it can produce. Each form of vitamin E has a slightly different antioxidant ability. To reduce confusion, these are reported as International Units (IU) on food labels and supplement bottles. They can also be expressed as milligram a-tocopherol equivalents (a is the science symbol for alpha).
Regulations and Safety
The US FDA requires infant formulas to have 0.7 IU vitamin E per 100 calories of prepared formula. This is the same as 0.63 mg a-tocopherol. In Europe, the requirement is at least 0.5 mg a-tocopherol per 100 calories, which is the same as 0.55 IU. Unlike the United States, Europe requires the addition of DHA and ARA, which is tied to the amount of vitamin E present.
Dietary Considerations
Tocopherols have no dietary restrictions and are appropriate for vegans, vegetarians, and all religious groups.