Vitamin E Test
A vitamin E test measures the amount of this fat-soluble antioxidant in your blood, usually as alpha-tocopherol. Vitamin E helps protect cells, and clinicians use the marker to help evaluate vitamin E status.
About this test
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that helps shield the body's cell membranes from everyday wear. The most active form in the body is alpha-tocopherol, which is what laboratories usually report.
The test is done with a simple blood draw at a patient service center. A phlebotomist collects a sample from a vein in the arm, and it is sent to the laboratory.
Test details
| Quest code | 931 |
|---|---|
| Methodology | Chromatography |
| Sample type | 2 mL serum - protected from light |
| Patient preparation | Fast overnight before your blood draw. |
| Collection | Quest patient service center |
Related tests and panels
Quest resources
Additional details
What this test looks at
A vitamin E test reports how much alpha-tocopherol is present in a blood sample. As an antioxidant that helps protect cell membranes, vitamin E is especially relevant to nerve and muscle tissue, which is where a long-running shortfall can eventually show itself. Measuring the circulating amount gives a clinician a reference point for whether vitamin E belongs in the conversation.
Because vitamin E moves through the blood bound to fats, the raw amount is most meaningful when a clinician considers it alongside the body's blood fats rather than in isolation.
How clinicians use vitamin E in context
Vitamin E is usually interpreted against how well a person absorbs dietary fat, their overall nutrition, and the symptoms that prompted the test. Because absorption is so central to its status, a clinician often reads the result together with the broader picture of digestive and liver health.
The measurement is meant to start a conversation with a clinician rather than to answer a question on its own. From there, a clinician decides in context whether any further evaluation is worth considering.
Order online and a physician order is included — no doctor's visit and no insurance needed. Your sample is collected at a Quest Diagnostics patient service center.
Laboratory results should always be interpreted by a licensed clinician who knows your health history. This page is information about a test, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
What does a vitamin E test measure?
It measures the amount of vitamin E in the blood, usually as alpha-tocopherol, its most active form. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that helps protect cell membranes, and the measurement reflects vitamin E status.
Who commonly orders a vitamin E test?
Because a shortfall is uncommon on a typical diet, it is most often considered in people with conditions that affect fat absorption, and sometimes by those exploring changes in sensation, balance, or muscle function in that setting.
How is the sample collected?
Through a routine blood draw at a patient service center. A phlebotomist takes a small sample from a vein in the arm and sends it to the laboratory for analysis.
Why might vitamin E be read alongside blood fats?
Vitamin E travels through the blood attached to fats, so a clinician may interpret the result together with a person's blood fats to make sure the reading is understood in the right context.
Do I need to prepare for this test?
Fast overnight before your blood draw. This is the preparation Quest publishes for this test; if your clinician gives you different instructions, follow theirs.
How much is a Vitamin E test?
$149, paid once at checkout. The price includes the physician's order this test requires and sample collection at a Quest patient service center.