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Are you supplementing your diet with vitamin E? There is a very good chance that your cardiologist

is supplementing his or her diet with vita-min E. A new survey commissioned by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has concluded that 75 percent of cardiolo-gists recommend vitamin E to their patients and about half of the cardiologists surveyed said they personally use vitamin E.

Despite the encouraging statistic, we have been inundated lately with confusing information negating the benefits of vita-min E in preventing cardiovascular diseases. The next question one would ask is: Why? One of the striking facts is that all of these studies were conducted with a single form of vitamin E—the tocopherol, especially alpha-tocopherol alone.

What is missing in most commercial vitamin E supplements?The missing component is that these stud-ies may very well turn out to be tocot-rienols. Tocotrienol is an essential form of vitamin E found most abundantly in palm fruits. Contrary to this recent news, vitamin E in the form of tocotrienol is ben-eficial in the prevention of heart disease. Both tocotrienols and tocopherols belong to the vitamin E family. In nature, plants, fruits and vegetables produce both forms of vitamin E—tocopherols and tocotrienols.

Going back to the belief of taking what nature gives us, the ideal vitamin E formula should consist of mixed tocotrienols, just as nature intended. Tocotrienols is a form of vitamin E that is missing in almost all com-mercial vitamin E supplements. The best way for Americans to reap the full benefits that vitamin E offers is to check the label and be certain the supplement contains the most beneficial form of vitamin E—tocot-rienol complex.

Natural Vitamin E? Take a second look!Vitamin E products currently available on the shelves of most health food stores con-sist mainly of alpha-tocopherol. In order to produce these alpha-tocopherol prod-ucts, the single alpha-tocopherol isomer

has undergone a chemical process called methylation, where the original and natural mixed tocopherol (alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocopherol—as extract-ed from soybeans—also called “non-alpha tocopherol”) is converted to 100 percent alpha tocopherol as a single isomer. What this means to consumers is that their “natu-ral” vitamin E formulas may not be so “natural” after all. Unfortunately we have used technology to pinpoint pre-maturely a single compound, alpha-tocopherol, as the magic-bullet to cure all ail-ments. This has caused many Americans to miss the boat when they are shopping for a vitamin E supplement.

What are tocotrienols?Tocotrienols are fat-soluble vitamins related to the family of tocopherols (Figure 1). The term vitamin E is now considered to be the generic name describing both the tocopher-ols and tocotrienols. However, tocopherols and tocotrienols are distinguished by their side chain. While tocopherol has a saturated phytyl tail, tocotrienol possesses an unsatu-rated isoprenoid side chain. Tocopherols and tocotrienols are further separated into individual compounds assigned by the Greek letter prefixes (a, b, d, g) depend-ing on the number and position of methyl substitution on the chromanol ring.

In many foods, alpha- and gamma-tocopherol account for most of the vitamin E activity. While tocopherols are generally present in common vegetable oils (i.e. soy, canola, wheat germ, sunflower), tocotri-enols, on the other hand, are concentrated in cereal grains (i.e. oat, barley, rye, rice bran), with the richest source found in fruits of palm.

What is the science behind tocotri-enols?Research studies conducted in the U.S. and other parts of the world have demonstrated the value of palm tocotrienol supplementa-

tion. Among the results:➔ Human studies have shown that

palm tocotrienols have the ability to reverse

blockage of the carotid artery and platelet aggregation (i.e. blood clotting) thereby reducing the risk of stroke, atherosclerosis and other heart disease-related problems.

➔ Palm tocotrienols, as demonstrated by both human and animal studies, can reduce the production of blood cholesterol. Tocopherol does not have this effect. The tocotrienol work by inhibiting cholesterol production in your liver. In one study, 200 milligrams of palm tocotrienols per day reduced total cholesterol between 15 to 33 percent in six to eight weeks. More good news is that the HDL level (the “good cho-lesterol”) was not affected.

➔ Studies conducted at the University of Hawaii showed that palm tocotrienol complex, especially the delta-tocotrienol fraction, inhibits the production of adhe-sion molecules. Hence this suggests that tocotrienol may reduce the risk of develop-ing plaque, the hallmark of atherosclerosis.

➔ The delta and gamma factions of tocotrienols can inhibit certain types of cancer, with the most research carried out on human breast cancer cells. Six different research centers in the world have demon-strated that these particular tocotrienols can inhibit both the estrogen-positive and

The Right Vitamin E—TOCOTRIENOLS

by ANDRE THERIAULT, Ph.D.

Figure 1. Chemical structures of tocopherols and tocotrienols.

To subscribe call toll-free 1-888-316 -6051.

FIGURE 1 : CHEMICAL STRUCTURES OF TOCOPHEROLS AND TOCOTRIENOLS

a) Tocopherols

CH3

CH3 CH3

CH3R

b) Tocotrienols

CH3

CH3 CH3

CH3

R

HO

R

R

O

HO

R R

R

O

estrogen-negative breast cancer cells. These six centers are: University of Reading, U.K., University of Louisiana, University of Texas, Washington State University, University of Western Ontario, Canada and the Palm Oil Research Institute, Malaysia. The inhibitory effect on breast cancer cell growth was most pronounced with delta-tocotrienol. Alpha-tocopherol, on the other hand, showed no significant effect.

➔ The protective effect of palm oil tocot-rienol as an antioxidant is significantly high-er than that of the common form of vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol. Studies continue to show that tocotrienols can be considered as a potent natural antioxidant, capable of protecting cellular membranes against oxida-tive damage. Researchers at the University of California Berkeley, showed that toco-trienol was 40 to 60 times more powerful than tocopherol E in the prevention of lipid peroxidation. Lipid peroxidation leads to free radicals, the underlying cause of cardiovascu-lar disease.

➔ Research has also shown that tocot-rienols lower apolipoprotein B (apoB) and Lp(a), two known risk factors for cardiovas-cular disease.

➔ Studies with test animals showed that palm tocotrienol complex is a vitamin E more potent than tocopherol in protect-ing the brain against oxidative damage and thereby from the ensuing adverse alterations that accompany aging.

➔ Lipid peroxides in blood vessels and plasma showed a positive correlation with blood pressure. The antioxidant ability of tocotrienols may prevent development of increased blood pressure and hypertension by reducing lipid peroxides and enhancing the total antioxidant status, including super-oxide dismutase activity.

➔ Athletes generate a tremendous amount of free radicals. Palm tocotrienols have been shown to be protective after a strenuous bout of exercise by preventing protein and lipid oxidation.

Skin Nutrition Practically every cosmetic product in the market has a form of vitamin E, either syn-thetic or natural. Vitamin E was once hailed as the “miracle” compound that has many beneficial effects on the human skin, ranging from preventing scarring to aging to its mois-

turizing effect. New studies on the protective benefits of tocotrienols as a more potent vita-min E are emerging. Among the results:

➔ Tocotrienols can help prevent skin aging and damage from free radicals gener-ated by UV rays and from environmental pollutants. Melanoma or skin cancer, also on the increase, can be inhibited with the delta fraction of tocotrienols. (Melanoma is a seri-ous disease of tumors of the skin and other organs, often malignant.) When applied top-ically, tocotrienols are quickly absorbed into the deep layers of the skin.

➔ Studies conducted at the University of California showed that tocotrienols pref-erentially accumulate at the strata corneum (uppermost 5 micron) of the skin. This is not surprising, given the fact that being a more potent antioxidant, tocotrienol may well turn out to be the skin’s first line of defense against oxidative stress generated by UV irradiation and other environmental pol-lutants. This unique distribution, as shown by tocotrienols, suggests that given the right ingredients our body naturally knows how to protect itself by distributing them to the right organs in the body.

As such, tocotrienols should be included in cosmetic products, either in topical anti-wrinkle creams or in cosmeceuticals—sup-plements formulated to address skin nutri-tion/protection specifically.

How much tocotrienols should I take and is it safe?In two independent studies, researchers reported that it would not be wise to take high levels of alpha-tocopherol without also consuming tocotrienols. The reason for this is that too much alpha-tocopherol could inhibit the effect of tocotrienols to inhibit HMG Co A Reductase, the enzyme responsible for the production of cholesterol in the liver.

Tocotrienols are extremely safe. Toxicological and pharmacological studies show that supplementation with natural palm tocotrienol complex (up to 2500 mil-ligrams per day per kilogram of body weight) does not produce any significant side effects.

Those who want to enhance their antioxi-dant intake, cholesterol readings and heart health need only to take a dosage of 30–50 mg of tocotrienols per day, as recommended by research scientists.

Palm tocotrienol complex has a distinct

composition that contains small amounts of tocopherol as well as mixed tocotrienols, which creates the ideal mixture naturally for maximum vitamin E effectiveness.

What should I look for when buying a vitamin E supplement?Look for the right form of vitamin E on the ingredient listing. Ensure that it contains natural palm tocotrienol complex. Of all the tocotrienols, delta-tocotrienol is the most potent to neutralize free radicals.

Almost all the commercial vitamin E sup-plements on the shelves contain only a single form of vitamin E—alpha-tocopherol. Some products carry a mixture of tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocopherols).

Men and women need to begin to under-stand that the right form of vitamin E to take is a supplement that contains palm toco-trienol complex. Taking the right form of vitamin E can help in maintaining a healthy heart and increasing longevity.

In SummaryCollectively known as vitamin E, tocotri-enols are identical in structure to tocoph-erols except for the degree of saturation in their side chain. It is of particular interest that the slight structural differences between tocopherol and tocotrienol can account for the greater physiological activity found with tocotrienol.

Although most studies have strongly sup-ported vitamin E supplements as an effective therapeutic agent in the prevention of car-diovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, not all studies have found an association. This dis-crepancy has raised concerns about current formulations of the vitamin E composition that would be most beneficial in the preven-tion of CVD and cancer. Current formulation consists primarily of alpha-tocopherol, either in the natural or synthetic or esterified or unesterified forms. Others have proposed that mixed tocopherols with gamma-tocoph-erol would be more advantageous due to its higher antioxidative effect against nitrogen oxide species. However, what is missing in all these formulations? The answer is tocotri-enols—the right vitamin E.

For further information on The Right Vitamin E—Tocotrienols, visit the one-stop educational Web site: www.tocotrienol.org ❧

Dr. Andre Theriault is an associate professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI. He is in the Division of Medical Technology and has done extensive research on coronary artery disease and the benefits of vitamin E and tocotrienols. His research studies and abstracts have been printed in several medical publications. Dr. Theriault received the Scientific Research Award in 1999 from the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science.

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The E Complex: Choosing the Right Vitamin E

VVitamin E supplementation used to be a simpleproposition. A recent survey commissioned bythe Council for Responsible Nutrition, US(CRN) has concluded that 75 percent of cardiol-ogists recommend vitamin E to their patients andabout half of the cardiologists surveyed said theypersonally use vitamin E.

There are new scientific studies publishedpractically every week about vitamin E. Despitethese publications, we have been inundated latelywith extensive human studies, questioning thebenefits of alpha tocopherol form of vitamin E inpreventing cardiovascular diseases. Numerousobjections were raised against these trials—mostnotably the doses used—but the real problemmay have been that alpha-tocopherol does not initself provide the right vitamin E activity andprotection for the heart. These studies were carried out with regular commercial vitamin Esupplements that did not contain tocotrienolsand other forms of tocopherols (i.e. gamma tocopherol), which might explain some of theinconsistent results in these controlled studies.

Vitamin E research has progressed to thepoint where scientists have identified differentforms of natural vitamin E (i.e.: gamma-toco-pherol and tocotrienols) that confer better protection against the various types of free radical damages as well as having additionalunique properties in reducing the risk of cardio-vascular disease. Now scientists believe that morethan one type of vitamin E should be a part of a long-term nutritional or supplement program.

Tocotrienols are fat-soluble vitamins relatedto the family of tocopherols. The term vitamin Eis now considered to be the generic namedescribing both the tocopherols and tocotrienols.However, tocopherols and tocotrienols are distin-guished by their side tail. While tocopherol has asaturated side tail, tocotrienol possesses an unsat-urated side tail. Tocopherols and tocotrienols arefurther separated into individual compoundsassigned by the Greek letter prefixes (a, b, d, g)depending on the number and position of methylsubstitution (-CH3) on the chromanol ring.

In nature, plants, fruits and vegetables produce both forms of vitamin E—tocopherolsand tocotrienols. While tocopherols are generallypresent in common vegetable oils (i.e. soy,canola, wheat germ, sunflower), tocotrienols, onthe other hand, are concentrated in cereal grains(i.e. oat, barley, rye, rice bran), with the richestsource found in palm (Elaeis guineensis).

Almost all vitamin E supplements containtocopherol (mainly the alpha-tocopherol form)but not tocotrienols. It doesn’t matter whetheryou take natural or synthetic vitamin E, the formused is almost always tocopherol. There is nothingwrong with alpha-tocopherol but if a personexpects to obtain the optimal vitamin E antioxi-dant protection, s/he should take the full

spectrum vitamin E that consists of both thetocopherols and tocotrienols as produced in nature.

Scientific Rationale for a Full SpectrumVitamin E ComplexVitamin E products currently available on theshelves of most health food stores consist mainlyof alpha-tocopherol. In order to produce thesealpha-tocopherol products, the original naturalmixed tocopherol (alpha, beta, gamma and deltatocopherol—as extracted from soybeans—alsocalled “non-alpha tocopherol”) is converted to asingle alpha tocopherol isomer by a chemicalprocess called methylation. What this means toconsumers is that their “natural” vitamin E formulas may not be so “natural” after all.Unfortunately we have prematurely pinpointed asingle compound, alpha-tocopherol, as the“magic” vitamin E. This has caused many of us to“miss the boat” when shopping for a vitamin Esupplement.

Antioxidant Network—Regeneration EfficiencyThe tocotrienols’ unique chemical structures(unsaturated side tail) allow them to movearound more freely and efficiently in cell membranes. As a result, tocotrienols can rush into intercept and neutralize free radicals more efficiently than can tocopherols. Tocotrienols’greater mobility allows them to get“recharged”/“regenerated” more quickly by vitamin C or glutathione, in a network of antiox-idants in the cells. The “regeneration effect” aspart of the antioxidant network is vital in prolonging the vitamin E antioxidant potency. Infact, when antioxidant recycling fails, vitamin Emolecules can actually become free radicalsthemselves, accelerating damage through aprocess known as tocopherol-mediated peroxida-tion (TMP).

Full Spectrum Vitamin E—“The E Complex”In nature there are eight forms of vitamin E—4forms of tocopherols and four forms oftocotrienols (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-

tocopherol and corresponding tocotrienols). Allthese forms of vitamin E work synergistically as ateam to confer the maximum antioxidant andcardiovascular protection. Some other examplesare mixed carotenoids instead of single beta-carotene alone, B complex instead of a single B6or B12 vitamin alone.

The idea that one single form of vitamin E—alpha-tocopherol out of eight fractions is the“magic” vitamin E and assuming that the otherforms are worthless denies the very fact thatnature put seven other tocopherols andtocotrienols out there for a reason.

Natural Mixed TocopherolsIt is now known that taking too much alpha-toco-pherol both depletes the body of other vitamin E members, especially gamma-tocopherolbut also tends to reduce the cholesterol reductioneffect of tocotrienols.

A recent study published in the proceedingsof the National Academy of Sciences suggests thatit could be dangerous to take high doses of alphatocopherol without also consuming gamma toco-pherol. What made this study interesting was thatit showed that high doses of alpha tocopherolcould displace gamma tocopherol in tissues.

Studies show that vitamin E’s gamma toco-pherol form may be more potent than alpha toco-pherol in suppressing damaging free radicals. While alpha tocopherol inhibits the production of free radicals to some degree, it isgamma tocopherol that is required to trap andneutralize existing free radicals, as well as key oxi-dizing agents that generate free radicals. One dan-gerous free radical producing compound thatgamma tocopherol inhibits strongly is peroxyni-trite, which is harmful to cells because of its pow-erful oxidizing and nitrating properties. There is asubstantial research documenting the ability ofgamma tocopherol to protect brain cells againstperoxynitrite damage.

Gamma-tocopherol was also reported to benot only significantly more potent than alpha-tocopherol in delaying blood clot formation inarteries but decreases superoxide free radical generation in arteries, lipid peroxidation, LDL oxidation and increases naturally produced super-oxide dismutase activity.

An in vitro study conducted at the Universityof Michigan, which compared the effects of alpha-and gamma-tocopherol supplementation onprostate cancer, found that the gamma form wassuperior for inhibiting cancer growth. Similarly, arecent study published in the Journal of NationalCancer Institute advocated the combined usage ofalpha- and gamma-tocopherol in the preventionof prostate cancer.

In one of the latest published studies,researchers at the University of Uppsala, Sweden

THE E Complex Choosing the right vitamin E

by W.H. Leong

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Ecompared the effect of alpha-tocopherol andmixed tocopherol in reducing hydrogen peroxide-induced lipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes. Interestingly, it was found that theuptake of gamma and delta-tocopherol by the cellswas much higher than alpha-tocopherol. Theresults of the study also indicated that both thealpha-tocopherol and mixed tocopherol protected the cells from lipid peroxidation.However, the mixed tocopherol (alpha, gammaand delta tocopherol) showed a significantlystronger inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation inhuman erythrocytes, which could be due to thehigher uptake of gamma and delta-tocopherol bythe cells.

Natural Mixed TocotrienolsHuman studies have shown that palm tocotrienolcomplex has the ability to reverse blockage of thecarotid artery and platelet aggregation (i.e. bloodclotting), thereby reducing the risk of stroke, atherosclerosis, and other heart disease-related problems. The normal tocopherol vitamin E doesnot have this ability.

Palm tocotrienol complex, as demonstratedby both human and animal studies, can reducethe production of serum cholesterol. Tocopheroldoes not have this effect. The tocotrienol works byinhibiting cholesterol production in the liver. Inone study (American Journal Clinical Nutrition),42 milligrams of palm tocotrienols per dayreduced total cholesterol between 5 to 35.9 percent in 4-6 weeks. More good news is that theHDL level (the “good cholesterol”) was notaffected. The normal tocopherol has no effect on cholesterol level.

Studies conducted at the University ofHawaii showed that palm tocotrienol complex,especially the delta-tocotrienol fraction, inhibitsthe production of vascular adhesion molecules.Hence this suggests that tocotrienols may reducethe risk of developing plaque, the hallmark of atherosclerosis.

Six independent research centers in the worldhave demonstrated that these particulartocotrienols potently inhibit both the estrogen-positive and estrogen-negative breast cancer cells.The delta and gamma forms of tocotrienol caninhibit certain types of cancer cell growth, with themost research carried out on human breast cancercells. Alpha-tocopherol, on the other hand,showed no significant effect.

The protective effect of tocotrienol as anantioxidant is significantly higher than that of thecommon form of vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol.Studies continue to show that tocotrienols can beconsidered as a potent natural antioxidant capableof protecting cellular membranes against oxidativedamage. Researchers at the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley, showed that alpha-tocotrienol is 40 to 60 times more powerful thanalpha-tocopherol in the prevention of lipid perox-idation. Lipid peroxidation leads to free radicals,the underlying cause of cardiovascular disease.

Research has also shown that tocotrienolslower apolipoprotein B (apoB) and lipoprotein(a),two known risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Studies with test animals showed that palmtocotrienol complex is a more potent form of vitamin E than alpha-tocopherol in protectingbrain cells against oxidative damage and therebyfrom the ensuing adverse alterations that accom-pany aging.

Lipid peroxides in blood vessels and plasmashowed a positive correlation with blood pressure.The antioxidant ability of tocotrienols may prevent development of increased blood pressureand hypertension by reducing lipid peroxides andenhancing the total antioxidant status, includingsuperoxide dismutase activity.

Studies conducted at the University ofCalifornia showed that tocotrienols preferentiallyaccumulate at the strata corneum (uppermost 5microns) of the skin. This is not surprising, giventhe fact that being a more potent antioxidant,tocotrienols may well turn out to be the skin’s firstline of defense against oxidative stress generated byUV irradiation and other environmental pollutants. This unique distribution shown bytocotrienols suggests that given the right ingredi-ents, the body naturally knows how to protectitself by distributing them to the right organs inthe body.

The Blood Pressure RegulatorSince the 1960s, researchers have been searchingfor the molecule in the body that regulates the release of excess water held in thespace between its cells, called the body’s pool ofextracellular fluid. Finding this factor is not just a scientific curiosity because retaining too much ofthis extracellular fluid raises blood pressure as wellas increasing the risk of congestive heart failureand cirrhosis. In 1996, researchers at Loma LindaUniversity finally identified this molecule as LLU-alpha, which is made from gamma-toco-pherol. Subsequently, in 2000, researchers at theUniversity of Tokyo and Linus Pauling Institutefound that LLU-alpha was also produced in thebody from gamma-tocotrienol through in vivooxidative metabolism.

LLU-alpha, a metabolite of gamma-toco-pherol and gamma-tocotrienol, is an importantfactor in regulating the extracellular fluid volume.

COX-2 InhibitorCOX-2 is normally kept in check until it is needed to play its part specifically in the inflam-mation process. Hence COX-2, if well regulated,plays an important role because inflammation issometimes needed for the body’s immuneresponse. However, in people with chronic inflam-mation such as rheumatoid arthritis, uncontrolledCOX-2 catalyzes the synthesis of prostaglandin E2(PGE2), which increases inflammation and itsassociated diseases such as cancer and vascularheart disease.

Researchers have reported that compoundsthat inhibit COX-2 also significantly reduce therisk of having a heart attack and developing various kind of cancer.

Researchers from the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley found that gamma-toco-pherol was a better form of vitamin E in inhibiting

COX-2 compared to alpha-tocopherol. In addi-tion, the metabolite of gamma-tocopherol andgamma-tocotrienol, LLU-alpha, was also found tobe a potent inhibitor of COX-2 enzyme.

Tocotrienols, through their ability to reducethe synthesis of an eicosanoid, namely throm-boxane B2 in the cyclo-oxygenase pathway, mayhave anti-inflammatory effect. Moreover,tocotrienols are speculated to inhibit the transcrip-tional activation of cyclo-oxygenase gene.

Back to NatureIn nature, almost all plants and oils naturally contain a mixture of the vitamin E isomers. Itrarely consists of only one single form of vitaminE. Most of them either contain a mixture of toco-pherols (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-toco-pherol) or a mixture of tocotrienols (alpha, beta-,gamma-, and delta tocotrienol) or more often, amixture of both the tocopherols and tocotrienols.

Similarly, the above reminded us of the beta-carotene debacle in 1996. We have finally realizedthe value of other forms of carotenoid such asalpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein, etc. as naturallyoccurring in fruits and vegetables in the preven-tion of various free radical-mediated degenerativediseases. Another example is the vitamin B com-plex, which is a family of various compounds—niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, folic acid, etc.

In light of this new development, scientistshave begun to re-look at their approach towardssupplementation. The best approach is to mimicnature as nature knows best.

In SummaryCollectively known as vitamin E, tocotrienols areidentical in structure to tocopherols except for thedegree of saturation in their side chain. It is of particular interest that the slight structural differ-ences between tocopherol and tocotrienol canaccount for the greater biological activities foundwith tocotrienol. Although most studies havestrongly supported vitamin E supplements as aneffective therapeutic agent in the prevention ofcardiovascular disease and cancer, not all studieshave found an association. This discrepancy hasraised concerns over current formulations and thevitamin E composition that would be most bene-ficial in the prevention of these diseases.

The right vitamin E to take is one that pro-vides all the eight forms of vitamin E (d-mixedtocopherols and d-mixed tocotrienols)—“The EComplex,” as the most complete and balancedvitamin E formulation.

For further information on tocotrienols visitthe leading educational Web site:www.tocotrienol.org. ❧

References upon request from totalhealth.

W.H. Leong is vice president of Carotech Inc,USA, the leading supplier of full spectrumtocotrienol complex—Tocomin®. He has exten-sive knowledge on the production and science oftocotrienols. (Tel: 1-732-906-1901; E-mail:carot3@aol.com).