Vitamin E includes four tocopherols; beta-tocopherol is one of them. Dietary levels of beta-tocopherol are lower than those of alpha-tocopherol, the most common form. Beta-tocopherol also has lower biological activity. The body uses a specific transport protein to prefer alpha-tocopherol, so beta-tocopherol gets absorbed less and cleared faster.
No proven benefit exists for taking beta-tocopherol alone. Most research on vitamin E health effects has focused on alpha-tocopherol. Limited mechanistic studies point to beta-tocopherol acting as an antioxidant, but human evidence is lacking. Mixed-tocopherol supplements sometimes include beta-tocopherol alongside alpha-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol to mirror the vitamin E family in foods.
Because beta-tocopherol is fat-soluble, take it with a meal containing fat if you use it as a supplement. Mixed-tocopherol products standardize to alpha-tocopherol, so the exact amount of beta-tocopherol you get from them is unclear.