Vitamin E is available in various forms. Often a distinction is made only between synthetic and natural vitamin E. But supplements that are high in Vitamin E cannot be 100% natural. Read how that works in this blog.

Wheat germ oil contains the highest amount of natural vitamine E

Vitamin E supplements that are highly dosed are often labeled as 100% natural. This alone is impossible. In nature you can find plant species that contain vitamin E. The oil of wheat (wheat germ oil) contains the highest proportion of vitamin E that can be found in nature. The amount of vitamin E in wheat germ oil is 1000 IU per liter. But then you really have 100% natural vitamin E, or d-α-tocopherol or RRR-α-tocopherol. A horse has a daily maintenance requirement of 500-1000 IU per day and as soon as the horse has a muscle disorder or performs on a high level, this amount is much higher. That would mean that one liter of wheat germ oil should be fed per day to meet the daily maintenance requirement for vitamin E. But how do supplements get the high vitamin E content?

Natural-equal vitamin E has the same molecular formula

A high-dose 100% natural vitamin E is therefore impossible, but there is a good alternative available. The same molecules can be copied in the laboratory, creating a naturally similar Vitamin E. This therefore has the same name of RRR-α-tocopherol, only does not come from wheat germ oil. We call this "natural-equal vitamin E", because it has the same molecular formula as the vitamin E form from, for example, wheat germ oil. It is therefore a type of vitamin E that is comparable to natural vitamin E and is therefore easily absorbed. With this natural-equal vitamin E you can ensure that supplements provide a higher amount of vitamin E per dose. But in fact, this vitamin E is not natural, which is why we call it natural-equal.

Choose a supplement based on natural and natural-equal vitamin E

Synthetic vitamin E is hardly absorbed by horses, this form is excreted through the manure. Synthetic vitamin E can be recognized by the fact that it starts with "dl". For example dl-α-tocopherol acetate. It makes no sense to choose a supplement that contains the synthetic form. Supplements based on wheat germ oil and natural-equal vitamin E are the better choice for horses. It is easily absorbable, tasty and contains the naturally occurring vitamin E types and omega 6 for an improved absorption.

Synergistic effect of grape extract and vitamin E.

Did you know that grape extract works synergistically with Vitamin E? Grape extract is rich in polyphenols and proanthocyanidin, which is also known as oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC). These are the dark blue dyes that are found in plants, especially in the skin and seeds. They also make blueberries so healthy, for example. As an antioxidant, OPC is 20 times stronger than vitamin C and 50 times stronger than vitamin E. That is why in our supplement we have chosen to combine wheat germ oil with natural-equal vitamin E and grape extract. As a result, 10ml contains 1100 IU of vitamin E and on top of that is the effect of the grape extract.   Sources https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9781855734630500102 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4988453/ https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/76/3/141/4781933 https://cvm.msu.edu/research/faculty-research/comparative-medical-genetics/valberg-laboratory/selecting-a-vitamin-e-supplement