Super vitamin E (by Dr. Daniel Yap )

The following article is from the Stratits Times dated 10 April 2010.

Super vitamin E

Research shows tocotrienol has added health benefits beyond being an antioxidant
By Daniel Yap (of Davos Life Science)

Over the last decade, tocotrienol has been quietly coming out of its tocopherol cousin's shadow and building a reputation in it own right as a 'super vitamin E'.

VITAMIN E has two forms, tocopherol and tocotrienol.
Both act as a fat-soluble antioxidant, neutralising damaging free radicals that are formed in the body.

The most widely used form of vitamin E is tocopherol, which is the common ingredient within standard vitamin E supplements known to be important in maintaining fertility.

However, a number of casual surveys on tocopherol use had led to a view that it also helped reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Unfortunately, these findings were not borne out when vitamin E was thoroughly scrutinised within controlled clinical trials. The consensus concluded that standard vitamin E had little or no clinically meaningful effects on cardiovascular disease.

However, all is not lost, as over the last decade, tocotrienol has been quietly coming out of its tocopherol cousin's shadow and building a reputation in it own right as a 'super vitamin E' due to the growing amount of evidence confirming the additional benefits it brings over the standard vitamin E.

It has become apparent that tocotrienol is more than just a powerful antioxidant, with studies showing that it plays a number of roles in supporting a healthy cardiovascular system, reducing the likelihood of heart disease and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.

Reducing risk of cardiovascular disease

IT IS well known that elevated blood cholesterol levels are a major cause of cardiovascular disease.

A primary cardiovascular benefit of tocotrienol is its ability to down-regulate an enzyme called
HMGCoA reductase, which has a knock-on effect of reducing the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver.

Coincidentally, this is the same enzyme targeted by commonly prescribed statin drugs.
In laboratory studies, animals given tocotrienol by mouth saw over 20 per cent reduction in total cholesterol, together with a similar reduction in the level of LDL, or bad, cholesterol. Conversely, standard vitamin E had little or no effect on cholesterol levels in animals.

More importantly, clinical studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of tocotrienol on recognised cardiovascular disease factors.

In one study, people receiving a daily dose of 100mg tocotrienol saw their total blood cholesterol drop by up to 22 per cent in conjunction with a 20 per cent decrease in bad cholesterol.

In two other clinical trials, tocotrienol reduced blood triglyceride levels by almost 20 per cent (elevated triglyceride levels are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke).
Another clinical trial showed that tocotrienol improved arterial compliance, which is the ability of artery walls to expand and contract passively with changes in blood pressure.

This may therefore have promising implications on reducing hardening of the arteries and alleviating hypertension.

Inhibiting growth of cancer cells

VARIOUS scientific studies have demonstrated that tocotrienol also has benefits in other serious medical conditions.

It has been found to help lower the risk and impact of cancers such as those of the prostate, breast and pancreas.

Tocotrienol inhibits the growth of human breast cancer cells and hinders the proliferation of prostate cancer cells by interfering with the tumours' ability to obtain nutrients from healthy blood vessels.

Moreover, laboratory tests indicate that tocotrienol induces a biological process known as apoptosis (or cell suicide) in human colorectal cancer cells.

These findings, coupled with tocotrienol's low toxicity, suggest that the substance has potential in the prevention and treatment of certain types of cancer, and could possibly help minimise the debilitating side effects experienced by patients receiving chemotherapy.

To this end, a clinical trial is currently being conducted at the Moffitt Cancer Centre in the United States, to evaluate the potential of tocotrienol in treating patients with pancreatic cancer.
In addition, evidence supports the development of dermatological formulations of tocotrienol for protecting the skin against free radicals produced by over-exposure to the sun. This may help prevent skin cancers such as melanoma.

Anti-inflammatory properties

ALMOST all diseases have a close relationship with inflammation, which is the body's way of bringing in cells of the immune system to promote healing or fight infection.

However, if it persists, chronic inflammation can have damaging long-term effects on the body.
Studies have shown that chronic inflammation has a greater significance in serious diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and diabetes.

Eating an 'anti-inflammatory diet' rich in antioxidants is one possible approach to combat chronic inflammation.

This suggests that the addition of tocotrienol to a diet could have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects to help reduce the risk of developing a wide range of diseases with an inflammatory component.

Interest in tocotrienol is growing among the scientific and medical community, supported by the encouraging clinical trial data showing its potential in cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer and anti-inflammatory effects.

The growing body of evidence supporting tocotrienol's health benefits has now reached such a level that it is only a matter of time before it routinely begins to appear on supplement labels in pharmacies.

The writer is the deputy head of tocotrienol research and development at Davos Life Science, a company that focuses on the production and R&D of tocotrienol for use in supplements, functional food, personal care and pharmaceutical formulations.