What are Tocotrienols, and Why do You Need Them?

[Guest guest]

http://www.mercola.com/2003/sep/24/tocotrienols.htm

 

 

What are Tocotrienols, and Why do You Need Them?

 

 

By Dr. Joseph Mercola

with Rachael Droege

 

 

Vitamin E is comprised of two groups of molecules, tocopherols and tocotrienols,

each with four forms (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol, and alpha-,

beta-, gamma- and delat-tocotrienol). Research is beginning to focus on specific

tocopherols and tocotrienols, rather than just “vitamin E.” Nonetheless, the

vitamin E most often referred to and sold in most stores is a synthetic form

called dl-alpha-tocopherol.

 

 

 

Tocopherols, which are found in corn, soybeans and olive oil, were the preferred

form of vitamin E because they have been widely accepted by the medical

community as useful for reducing the risk of heart disease and other serious

illness.

 

 

 

However, new research is beginning to emerge that says the tocotrienols, found

in palm, rice bran and barley oils, could be the most important part of vitamin

E, and a form of vitamin E called full-spectrum vitamin E, which contains a

mixture of tocopherols (alpha, beta, delta, and gamma) and tocotrienols (alpha,

beta, delta, and gamma), may be needed to protect against disease and provide

maximum benefits.

 

 

 

For instance, one breast cancer study found that while standard alpha-tocopherol

vitamin E supplements did not appear to reduce breast cancer rates, women who

consumed foods rich in other forms of vitamin E reduced their risk of breast

cancer by as much as 90 percent. Other studies have also found that tocotrienols

inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

 

Further, studies have shown the antioxidant effects of tocotrienols to be 40 to

60 times more effective than alpha tocopherol. Tocotrienols have also been shown

to reduce the risk of stroke by reversing atherosclerosis, and to reduce the

level of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

 

Tocotrienols and tocopherols are similar in chemical structure, but tocotrienols

are more unsaturated, which means they are more mobile and more reactive, while

tocopherols tend to cluster.

 

While I have believed in vitamin E for over 30 years and have been taking it for

many of those years, there is clearly some controversy here as to what type of

vitamin E is best, and the more I study health, the more I realize we don't

know. So it all boils down to the basics again. Eat a healthy diet with minimal

grains and sugars, as outlined in the No-Grain Diet, and eat foods that are as

pure as possible. Ideally, it would also be beneficial to eat for your Metabolic

Type. Reviewing my nutrition plan is a great way to get started.

 

If you do decide to take vitamin E, it would be wise to get a full-spectrum

variety to ensure you are getting all eight of the naturally occurring isomers

that vitamin E has to offer. Additionally, since vitamin E is a fat-soluble

vitamin, if you take it on an empty stomach very little will be absorbed into

your bloodstream. It is best to take vitamin E with a fat-containing food such

as fish oil.

 

 

 

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