In a small clinical study, 24 patients with frequent nighttime leg cramps experienced significant relief after taking 100 IU of vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) three times daily before meals. Two patients with restless legs syndrome also saw improvement, and one patient's severe nighttime rectal cramps resolved as well.

This was a clinical observation study from 1969 where researchers tracked patients who were taking vitamin E for skin conditions and noticed leg cramps improved as a side benefit. It wasn't a controlled trial with a placebo group.

Funding not disclosed in abstract