I N PROF I LE
A new era in vitamin E
E verybody knows about vitamin E, but few have heard of tocotrienols. Dr Barrie Tan reveals their special benefits. Multiple forms of vitamin E have been identified since its initial discovery 100 years ago, including tocopherols and tocotrienols. Alpha-tocopherol, a potent lipid antioxidant, was the first known vitamin E compound. Up until 1990, tocopherol research dominated the field; however, more recent research shows tocotrienols provide more powerful anti- Like all vitamin E compounds, tocotrienols are found in oily parts of plants (e.g. nuts and seeds), where they protect lipids. There are three major sources: rice bran, palm and annatto. Of these, annatto is the only source that naturally contains only delta- and gamma-tocotrienol, two of the most active vitamin E forms. ageing benefits than tocopherols. What are tocotrienols?
Cardiovascular and metabolic health
Annatto’s vitamin E composition is unique in that it contains 100 percent tocotrienols and is essentially tocopherol- free, whereas most vitamin E sources contain 25-50 percent alpha-tocopherol. This is an advantage because tocotrienols’ superior molecular structure of an unsaturated side chain allows easy access Annatto’s vitamin E composition is unique in that it contains 100 percent tocotrienols and is essentially tocopherol-free, whereas most vitamin E sources contain 25-50 percent alpha-tocopherol to cell membranes, and alpha-tocopherol also interferes with tocotrienol functions. A tocopherol-free tocotrienol like the annatto- derived one therefore mines the nutrient’s full benefits, and a steady stream of published clinical trials suggests tocotrienol use for cardiometabolic, anti- inflammatory, antioxidant, and cellular health applications.
The first benefit identified for tocotrienols was for cardiovascular health. Tocotrienols’ hypocholesterolemic activity was discovered in 1986 by USDA researchers, and later confirmedbyBristol-Myers Squibb scientists. Since then, research has confirmed the benefits of annatto-derived tocotrienols for cardiovascular and metabolic health. One study tested annatto tocotrienol dosages ranging from 125-750 mg/day in hypercholesterolemic patients, and found that at an optimum daily dose of 250 mg/ day, patients’ total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides dropped by 15, 18 and 14 percent respectively, after only four weeks. Beyond lipid management, inflammation - a low-grade and persistent companion of cardiovascular disease - was also reduced in hyperlipidemic patients, with another study showing that daily supplementation with 250 mg annatto tocotrienol saw patients’ C-reactive protein levels decrease by 40 percent, while cytokines associated with cardiovascular disease, like TNF- alpha and interleukin-6, were significantly downregulated.
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ISSUE 62 • 2021
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