What does the abbreviation I.E. mean on a package?

If you look at our product labels at Golden Naturals, you'll occasionally come across the term 'I.E.'. But what does that actually mean? I.E. stands for International Units and is also known as I.U. It is a unit used to indicate the amount of an active and useful ingredient in our supplements, the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. This is a standardised way of comparing the effectiveness of the vitamins in various products.

For example, if we say a supplement contains 1,000 I.E. of vitamin D, it means we have put exactly that amount of active vitamin D in the product. This is a fixed value, which does not change. For example, 25 mcg of vitamin D always stands for 1,000 I.E. We have done all the calculations beforehand, so you can be confident that each supplement contains exactly the amount of active ingredient as indicated on the label.

It is important to understand that a higher I.E. indicates that there is more of the active ingredient in the supplement, but 'the higher, the better' does not always apply. The optimal amount of active ingredient, depends on several factors such as health, age, gender, diet and lifestyle.

The 'International Units' on our products make it easier for you to compare the effective amounts in our supplements with those of others.

Still have questions or need more information? We are always ready to help you!