DL-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate (synthetic) vs. Mixed Tocopherols
Among 4,796 on-market vitamin e products with an identifiable primary form, 35.7% use DL-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate (synthetic) (1,711 products) and 7.1% use Mixed Tocopherols (341).
| DL-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate (synthetic) | Mixed Tocopherols | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality tier | Tier 2 | Unrated |
| Vitamin E by weight | — | — |
| Share of market | 35.7% | 7.1% |
| On-market products | 1,711 | 341 |
| Median declared dose | 13.5 mg middle half: 7–20 | 40 mg middle half: 11.5–118.42 |
| Most common brands | Nature Made, 21st Century, Airborne | Perque, Futurebiotics, Allergy Research Group |
Doses are declared per serving in mg. “By weight” is the share of the ingredient that is the nutrient itself (e.g. elemental magnesium in a magnesium salt).
Why DL-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate (synthetic) is tier 2
Synthetic all-rac form has roughly half the biological activity/tissue retention of the natural RRR form, explicitly reflected in FDA's 2:1 label-claim discount.
Source: Burton GW et al. 1998, PMID 9537614
Why Mixed Tocopherols is unrated
A mixed alpha/beta/gamma/delta blend has different overall biological activity than isolated alpha-tocopherol (RDA/label math counts only the alpha fraction), but no comparative-potency study for this specific commercial blend was verified.
Source: uncertain -- needs review