Olive Oil Vitamins: E and K, and What It Does Not Contain
Olive oil contains two vitamins in amounts worth counting: vitamin E and vitamin K. On USDA FoodData Central's analysed entry for olive oil (FDC 171413), one 13.5 g tablespoon carries about 1.9 mg of vitamin E and 8.1 µg of vitamin K — roughly 16% and 11% of the UK and EU reference intakes. Everything else on the vitamin list reads zero: no vitamin C, no B12, no vitamin D and no vitamin A. Most pages on olive oil vitamin E say it is "rich" in the vitamin and stop there. This guide shows the working instead — the database figures, the multiplication to a tablespoon, the percentages against UK/EU and US references, what the EU's labelling thresholds say, and how much the figure varies from one oil to the next.
For our own oil, see our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml).
The Short Answer
- Vitamin E: about 1.9 mg a tablespoon. USDA lists 14.35 mg of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) per 100 g of olive oil; multiplied by 0.135 for a 13.5 g tablespoon, that is 1.94 mg — 16% of the UK/EU reference intake of 12 mg and 13% of the US Daily Value of 15 mg.
- Vitamin K: about 8 µg a tablespoon. USDA lists 60.2 µg of vitamin K (phylloquinone) per 100 g, which is 8.1 µg a tablespoon — 11% of the UK/EU reference intake of 75 µg and 7% of the US Daily Value of 120 µg.
- No vitamin C, B12, D or A. USDA's analysed values for all four are zero, and the same goes for the B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and folate.
- Per 100 g, olive oil clears the EU "source of" threshold for vitamin E easily. The rule is 15% of the reference intake per 100 g; olive oil's 14.35 mg is about 120%. Per tablespoon, the contribution is modest.
- The figure varies a lot. A study of oils from 30 olive cultivars found total tocopherols (the vitamin E family) from 84 to 463 mg/kg — roughly 1.1 to 6.3 mg in a tablespoon.
- Olive oil is not a vitamin supplement. Its distinctive nutritional case rests on oleic acid and, in extra virgin oil, polyphenols; the vitamin E and K are a useful bonus, not the reason to choose it.
Olive Oil Vitamins Per Tablespoon: The Arithmetic
We read USDA FoodData Central's olive oil entry (SR Legacy, FDC 171413, "Oil, olive, salad or cooking") directly for this article. It reports nutrients per 100 g and gives a standard tablespoon portion of 13.5 g, so each figure is multiplied by 0.135. The UK/EU reference intakes come from Annex XIII of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, read on legislation.gov.uk; the US Daily Values come from 21 CFR 101.9, read on the eCFR.
| Vitamin | Per 100 g (USDA) | Arithmetic | Per tablespoon (13.5 g) | % UK/EU reference intake | % US Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 14.35 mg | 14.35 × 0.135 | 1.94 mg | 1.94 ÷ 12 mg = 16% | 1.94 ÷ 15 mg = 13% |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 60.2 µg | 60.2 × 0.135 | 8.1 µg | 8.1 ÷ 75 µg = 11% | 8.1 ÷ 120 µg = 7% |
| Gamma-tocopherol (not counted as vitamin E) | 0.83 mg | 0.83 × 0.135 | 0.11 mg | — | — |
| Vitamins C, D, A, B12, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, folate | 0 | 0 × 0.135 | 0 | 0% | 0% |
Two points on reading it. The UK/EU and US percentages differ because the references differ: 12 mg against 15 mg for vitamin E, 75 µg against 120 µg for vitamin K. Neither is wrong — they are different official yardsticks, so check which one a label is using. And the US National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements lists olive oil at 8 µg of vitamin K a tablespoon (7% of the Daily Value), which matches the calculation above.
USDA's newer Foundation Foods entry for extra virgin olive oil (FDC 748608), which our olive oil omega-3 guide uses for fatty acids, reports fats and sterols but no vitamins. So the vitamin figures here come from the older general olive oil entry, and extra virgin oils can sit above or below it.
Vitamin E in Olive Oil: Useful, Not Exceptional
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant, and olive oil is one of its everyday sources simply because it is a fat used daily. A tablespoon of olive oil provides about 1.9 mg of vitamin E, which is respectable but not remarkable among kitchen oils. The Office of Dietary Supplements' food table puts sunflower oil at 5.6 mg a tablespoon and safflower oil at 4.6 mg, against olive oil's 1.9 mg on USDA's figures.
| Food (1 tablespoon unless stated) | Vitamin E (mg) | Vitamin K (µg) |
|---|---|---|
| Sunflower oil | 5.6 | — |
| Safflower oil | 4.6 | — |
| Corn oil | 1.9 | — |
| Olive oil | 1.9 | 8 |
| Soybean oil | 1.1 | 25 |
| Canola (rapeseed) oil | — | 10 |
| Almonds, dry roasted, 1 oz (28 g) | 6.8 | — |
Figures other than olive oil's vitamin E are from the Office of Dietary Supplements' vitamin E and vitamin K fact sheets; "—" means the fact sheet does not list that food for that vitamin. To reach the UK/EU reference intake of 12 mg from olive oil alone you would need about six tablespoons (12 ÷ 1.94 = 6.2), or roughly 740 kcal of oil. Our olive oil calories guide sets out where the 119–122 kcal a tablespoon comes from.
That is not a reason to drink more oil. The Office of Dietary Supplements notes that frank vitamin E deficiency is rare and that overt deficiency symptoms have not been found in healthy people on low-vitamin-E diets. Olive oil's vitamin E is a contribution within a mixed diet — nuts, seeds, other oils and green vegetables do the rest.
Why the Vitamin E Figure Varies From Bottle to Bottle
The 14.35 mg per 100 g in USDA's entry is an average, not a property of every bottle. In a study published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis in 2010, Beltrán and colleagues analysed virgin olive oils from 30 cultivars and followed three cultivars across three crop years. Total tocopherols ranged from 84 to 463 mg/kg, with alpha-tocopherol — the form counted as vitamin E — making up more than 95% of the total.
Converted to a tablespoon, that range is roughly 1.1 to 6.3 mg (0.084 or 0.463 mg per gram × 13.5 g), or about 9% to 52% of the UK/EU reference intake. The authors found a strong genetic component: cultivar mattered most. Growing conditions mattered too — oils from the drier crop year in their study had the highest tocopherol content, though the effect depended on the cultivar — and tocopherols generally fell as the fruit ripened.
The practical point for readers is simple: any vitamin E figure on a page about olive oil, including ours, describes a typical oil, not the one in your cupboard. Only a lab analysis of a specific batch gives that batch's number. Storage matters too, because tocopherols are antioxidants that are used up as an oil oxidises — one more reason to keep olive oil away from light and heat. Our guide to choosing a quality olive oil covers the checks that matter, including the harvest date and the bottle.
Vitamin K in Olive Oil, and the Warfarin Question
Olive oil provides about 8 µg of vitamin K (phylloquinone, or K1) a tablespoon. That is a small share of the US adequate intake of 120 µg a day for men and 90 µg for women, and far below leafy greens: the Office of Dietary Supplements lists 145 µg in a cup of raw spinach and 113 µg in a cup of raw kale. Even among oils, soybean oil carries about three times as much per tablespoon.
Still, the Office of Dietary Supplements notes that fats and oils — particularly soybean and canola oil — are among the most common sources of vitamin K in the US diet, simply because people use them every day. Oil also helps with absorption: vitamin K, like vitamin E, is fat-soluble, which is one good reason a salad of dark greens is better with a dressing than without.
One group should think about consistency rather than quantity. The Office of Dietary Supplements advises that people taking warfarin and similar anticoagulants keep their vitamin K intake consistent, because sudden changes can increase or decrease the drug's effect. Olive oil's contribution is small, but if you take warfarin, talk to your anticoagulant clinic or GP before making large changes to the greens and oils you eat.
What Olive Oil Does Not Contain
Olive oil is almost pure fat, and most vitamins are not dissolved in it. USDA's analysed olive oil entry records zero for vitamin C, vitamin B12, vitamin D (D2 and D3), vitamin A (as retinol activity equivalents), thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and folate, with a trace of choline (0.3 mg per 100 g). Water-soluble vitamins such as C and the B group have no route into a pressed oil, and vitamins A and D in their active forms come mainly from animal foods, fortified foods or, for vitamin D, sunlight.
| Vitamin | Olive oil per 100 g (USDA) | UK/EU reference intake | US Daily Value | Where it actually comes from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 80 mg | 90 mg | Fruit and vegetables |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 2.5 µg | 2.4 µg | Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, fortified foods |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 5 µg | 20 µg | Sunlight, oily fish, egg yolks, fortified foods, supplements |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 0 µg | 800 µg | 900 µg | Liver, dairy, eggs; beta-carotene from orange and green vegetables |
Extra virgin oils do carry traces of carotenoid pigments such as lutein and beta-carotene — part of their green-gold colour — but USDA's entry records no measurable vitamin A activity, and nobody should rely on olive oil for vitamin A. For vitamin D, the NHS advises that everyone in the UK should consider a daily 10 microgram supplement in autumn and winter; olive oil does not change that advice.
Does Olive Oil Help You Absorb Vitamin D?
It is often said that vitamin D supplements must be taken with fat, so olive oil gets suggested as a carrier. The evidence is more mixed than the advice. In a randomised trial published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research in 2013, Dawson-Hughes and colleagues gave 62 healthy older adults a monthly 50,000 IU vitamin D3 dose with no meal, a high-fat breakfast or a low-fat breakfast. Twelve hours later, the rise in blood vitamin D3 was greatest with the low-fat meal — yet blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the usual marker of vitamin D status, did not differ between the groups at 30 or 90 days.
The type of fat may matter more than the amount. In an analysis of 152 adults aged 65 and over taking 700 IU of vitamin D3 a day for two years, Niramitmahapanya, Harris and Dawson-Hughes reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2011 that higher monounsaturated fat intake was associated with a larger rise in 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and higher polyunsaturated fat intake with a smaller one. Olive oil is mostly monounsaturated, but this was an observational analysis of food-questionnaire data, and the authors called for more studies to confirm it.
The honest summary: take a vitamin D supplement with a meal, as the label directs; there is no good evidence that adding a spoonful of olive oil to it improves your vitamin D status.
Is Olive Oil a "Source of Vitamin E"? What the EU Rules Say
Under the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, which we read on legislation.gov.uk, a food may be called a "source of" a vitamin only if it contains at least a "significant amount" as defined in the Annex to Directive 90/496/EEC. That directive was repealed by Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, whose Article 53 says references to it are to be read as references to the 2011 regulation — and Annex XIII of that regulation sets the significant amount, as a rule, at 15% of the reference intake per 100 g for foods other than drinks. A "high in" claim needs at least twice that.
- Vitamin E: "source of" needs 1.8 mg per 100 g (15% of 12 mg) and "high in" 3.6 mg. USDA's 14.35 mg per 100 g is about 120% of the reference intake.
- Vitamin K: "source of" needs 11.25 µg per 100 g (15% of 75 µg) and "high in" 22.5 µg. USDA's 60.2 µg per 100 g is about 80%.
Because the test is per 100 g, an oil looks generous on paper — few people eat 100 g of olive oil in a day. Per tablespoon, the honest description is a moderate contribution of vitamin E and a small one of vitamin K. A claim on an actual bottle should also rest on that oil's measured content, not a database average.
The Objections Worth Answering
"I've read that olive oil is rich in vitamin E." By the EU's per-100 g test, it would comfortably qualify as high in vitamin E. Per tablespoon, it supplies about a sixth of the UK/EU reference intake — less than sunflower or safflower oil, and less than a small handful of almonds. "Rich" is fair on a per-100 g label; in a day's cooking, "useful" is more accurate.
"Does extra virgin olive oil have more vitamins than ordinary olive oil?" Not reliably. USDA does not publish vitamin values for its extra virgin entry, and tocopherols vary far more with cultivar and growing conditions than with the grade name. What clearly separates extra virgin oil is its polyphenols, which refining strips out. Our guides to what extra virgin olive oil is and to olive oil polyphenols explain why grade matters.
"Should I take vitamin E supplements instead?" That is a question for your doctor, not a cooking oil. Vitamin E from food in normal amounts is not the same as high-dose supplements, and olive oil's case does not depend on its vitamin content.
Why Sidr & Stone
We will not sell our olive oil as a vitamin supplement, because no honest olive oil is one. The vitamin figures in this article come from USDA's database and published research, not from our own bottles: we have not yet published a lab certificate for our oil and will not quote figures until we do. What we can tell you is how the oil is grown and made. Sidr & Stone's extra virgin olive oil comes from our own single-estate farm on the plains outside Marrakech, where we control every step from tree to bottle.
- Single-estate — Sidr & Stone's olive oil comes from our own family-owned farm near Marrakech, Morocco, with no blending across origins.
- Rain-fed — no irrigation; the trees take what the season gives.
- Organically grown — no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides (not yet certified; certification is in progress).
- Single harvest — a small, limited batch; once it is gone, it is gone until the next harvest.
- Cold-pressed within hours of harvest — to protect flavour, aroma and polyphenols.
- Unfiltered extra virgin — minimally processed; natural sediment is normal.
- 100% natural — a single ingredient, olive oil, nothing added.
- Dark glass with a gold label — a 500 ml bottle that protects the oil, and its tocopherols, from light.
- 10% of profits to charity — a brand-wide commitment.
- Fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
We will not tell you Sidr & Stone is the best olive oil — that would be the very kind of claim this article warns against. What we will say is that our oil is single-estate Moroccan, rain-fed, organically grown and cold-pressed within hours of harvest, and that the care shows in its taste and colour rather than in a vitamin number we have not yet measured.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does olive oil contain vitamin E?
Yes. USDA FoodData Central lists 14.35 mg of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) per 100 g of olive oil, about 1.9 mg in a 13.5 g tablespoon — 16% of the UK/EU reference intake and 13% of the US Daily Value.
What vitamins are in olive oil?
Only two in meaningful amounts: vitamin E and vitamin K. USDA's analysed values for vitamins C, D, A, B12 and the other B vitamins are all zero.
Does olive oil have vitamin D?
No. USDA records zero vitamin D in olive oil. Vitamin D comes from sunlight, oily fish, egg yolks, fortified foods and supplements, and the NHS advises everyone in the UK to consider 10 micrograms a day in autumn and winter.
How much vitamin K is in a tablespoon of olive oil?
About 8 µg, from USDA's 60.2 µg per 100 g multiplied by 0.135. That is 11% of the UK/EU reference intake and 7% of the US Daily Value; a cup of raw spinach has about 145 µg.
Is Sidr & Stone olive oil higher in vitamin E than other olive oils?
We do not know yet, and we will not guess. Vitamin E in olive oil varies widely with cultivar and growing conditions, and we will publish figures for our oil only once a lab certificate is on file.
Does vitamin E in olive oil survive cooking?
Some is lost, because tocopherols are antioxidants that are used up as an oil oxidises with heat, light and air. Ordinary cooking still leaves olive oil a useful fat; our guide to olive oil at high heat covers what actually happens in the pan.
Where can I buy Sidr & Stone olive oil?
Our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) is available to pre-order as a limited single-harvest batch, with estimated shipping from November 2026 and fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Is olive oil a medicine?
No. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine. It has a long traditional history — including being honoured in the Prophetic Sunnah — and a substantial body of modern research, particularly around polyphenols, cardiovascular health, and the Mediterranean diet pattern. It can be a worthwhile part of a healthy routine, but it does not cure diseases and is not a substitute for medical care. Be cautious of any olive oil marketed with specific disease-cure claims.
Final Thoughts
Shown in full, the arithmetic is short: USDA's 14.35 mg of vitamin E and 60.2 µg of vitamin K per 100 g become about 1.9 mg and 8 µg in a tablespoon — 16% and 11% of the UK/EU reference intakes. Everything else on the vitamin panel is zero. Olive oil is a modest source of two fat-soluble vitamins and no source at all of vitamins C, D, A or B12.
That is a fair description, not a criticism. Olive oil earns its place as an everyday fat through oleic acid and, in a fresh extra virgin oil, polyphenols — the vitamins come along with it. Get vitamin C from fruit and vegetables, B12 and vitamin A from a varied diet, and vitamin D from sunlight, food and, in winter, a supplement. If you are managing a medical condition or taking medication such as warfarin, a dietitian or your GP can tailor the balance to you.
Our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) — single-estate, rain-fed and cold-pressed within hours of harvest — is available to pre-order now, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Our extra virgin olive oil is grown organically on our own single-estate farm on the plains outside Marrakech: we control every step from tree to bottle, and no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers are used. It is not yet certified organic — certification is in progress, and we will publish it as soon as it comes through.
References
1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: Oil, olive, salad or cooking (SR Legacy, FDC ID 171413), and Oil, olive, extra virgin (Foundation, FDC ID 748608). Accessed 2 October 2026.
2. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, Article 53 and Annex XIII; Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods, Annex. legislation.gov.uk, accessed 2 October 2026.
3. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, §101.9 (Nutrition labeling of food), Daily Values for vitamins. eCFR, accessed 2 October 2026.
4. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (updated 26 March 2021); Vitamin K: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (updated 29 March 2021).
5. Beltrán G, Jiménez A, del Rio C, Sánchez S, Martínez L, Uceda M, Aguilera MP. (2010). Variability of vitamin E in virgin olive oil by agronomical and genetic factors. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 23(6), 633–639. doi:10.1016/j.jfca.2010.03.003.
6. Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Palermo NJ, Ceglia L, Rasmussen H. (2013). Meal conditions affect the absorption of supplemental vitamin D3 but not the plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D response to supplementation. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 28(8), 1778–1783. doi:10.1002/jbmr.1896. PMID 23427007.
7. Niramitmahapanya S, Harris SS, Dawson-Hughes B. (2011). Type of dietary fat is associated with the 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 increment in response to vitamin D supplementation. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 96(10), 3170–3174. doi:10.1210/jc.2011-1518. PMID 21816779.
8. NHS. Vitamin D. nhs.uk (page last reviewed 3 August 2020).
Disclaimer: This article describes the vitamin content of olive oil using USDA FoodData Central, UK/EU and US labelling rules, NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets and published research at the time of writing; database values, regulations and research findings may change, and vitamin content varies between oils and harvests, so readers should check current sources. It is general nutritional information, not personalised dietary advice. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine, and is not a substitute for medical treatment of any condition. For any health concern, consult a qualified medical professional.