Am J C/in Nuir l990;52:36 1-7. Printed in USA. © 1990 American Society for Clinical Nutrition 361 Vitamin E intakes and sources in the United 2

adults interviewed in the Second National Health and Nutri-tion Examination Survey (NHANES II) were used to estimate intakes of vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the United States. Although mean intakes ofvitamin E were close to the recommended dietary allowance for both men and women (9.6 and 7.0 mg/d, respectively), median intakes were considerably lower (7.3 and 5.4 mg/d). If a ratio of vitamin E to PUFAs of 0.4 is considered desirable, 23 % of men and 1 5 % of women had diets with bow ratios. Ratios tended to de-crease as PUFAs in the diet increased. The fruits-and-vegeta-bles group and the fats-and-oils group each provided 20 % of the vitamin E in the US diet. Increasing food choices from the fruits-and-vegetables group would provide low-fat sources of vitamin E for individuals whose intakes are likely to be inadequate. AmfClinNutr l990;52:36l-7. KEY WORDS Vitamin E, nutrient intake