Research synthesisLow evidenceSmall effect3 studies · 1 beneficial · 2 neutral · 0 harmful
Across 3 studies, 1 reported a beneficial moderate-sized effect of lower vitamin E levels in patients with vitiligo compared to controls, while 2 studies found neutral small effects in patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) and malaria. The evidence base is small (only 3 studies) and predominantly neutral, with no consistent dose or form data available. The one significant finding suggests an association between vitiligo and reduced vitamin E levels, but this does not directly address the effect of vitamin E supplementation.
- Studied populations: patients with vitiligo, patients with phenylketonuria (PKU), malaria patients
Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. Many of the included studies did not reach statistical significance — effect may be smaller than the predominant direction suggests. The beneficial finding is observational (lower vitamin E levels in a disease group) and does not support a supplementation benefit for raising vitamin E levels.
Generated Jun 11, 2026