Vitamin E is an important nutrient for healthy functioning of the human body. It is a strong antioxidant and has roles in the function of the immune system and several metabolic processes. The term vitamin E actually refers to a group of eight related compounds, four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. The human body, however, can only directly use one form of vitamin E, known as alpha-tocopherol. While few of the foods found to be rich in this important vitamin are fruits, some fruits, mostly berries but also some tropical fruits and “stone” fruits are rich in vitamin E.
Chief among the fruits rich in vitamin E is a food not usually regarded as a fruit in a culinary sense, but which is one nevertheless. Avocado is very rich in vitamin E, containing 2.1 mg of alpha-tocopherol per serving, which is roughly half an avocado. “Stone” fruits, or fruits with large pits containing a single seed can be a fairly good source of vitamin E. Peaches, nectarines, and to a lesser extent plums, also contain relatively significant amounts of this vitamin. Tomatoes, another food rich in vitamin E is often thought of as a vegetable, but is technically a fruit, in the strictest sense of the word.
After avocado, most of the top fruits rich in vitamin E are berries. Blackberries and several closely related species such as boysenberries, raspberries, and loganberries are all fruits rich in vitamin E, with blackberries containing the most, after avocado. Blueberries, black currants, cranberries, and mulberries, particularly the black variety, are all good fruit sources for vitamin E. Most of these species are native to North America. Gooseberries, native to Europe and Asia are another berry that are rich in this nutrient. Strawberries also contain significant amounts of vitamin E but not in the abundance found in some of these other berry fruits.
Several tropical and subtropical fruits rich in vitamin E are known as well. Mangoes in particular are very rich in vitamin E, having one of the highest concentrations of any fruit. Guava, papaya, pomegranate, and kiwi fruit are all known to contain significant amounts of this important nutrient. Many other fruits contain this vitamin as well, although in smaller amounts. Some fruits with lesser, but still notable, amounts of vitamin E include breadfruit, cherimoya, grapes, apples, and pears, both the western and Asian or Chinese varieties.