Tocotrienols – The Sleeper Nutrients

Dr. Lynn Toohey, Ph.D, Nutrition

Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, CO

Research Consultant NutriWest

The word “tocotrienols” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. This 5 syllable word describes the lesser known players of the vitamin E molecule. Many people think that alpha tocopherol is vitamin E, but that is incorrect. Alpha tocopherol is just the portion of vitamin E that has been used in most of the clinical trials existing in the research.

The synthetic variety, DL alpha tocopherol, was used in these studies, instead of the natural form, D alpha tocopherol. When you couple this with the fact that alpha tocopherol was not given with the other synergistic members of the molecule in these studies, it is no wonder that “bad press” occasionally comes out about “vitamin E”, even though vitamin E was not studied. Using alpha tocopherol alone may actually interfere with the action of the other parts of the molecule.

There are many who believe that studies done with just the alpha tocopherol portion of the vitamin E would have been much more efficacious if the studies had taken advantage of the properties, both synergistic and stand-alone characteristics, that the tocotrienols possess.

“Disappointments with outcomes-based clinical studies testing the efficacy of alpha tocopherol need to be handled with caution and prudence recognizing the untapped opportunities offered by the other forms of natural vitamin E”¹

While alpha tocopherol has cornered much of the press in recent years, the alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocotrienols are very important parts of the vitamin E molecule. As we have seen, it has been suggested that the vitamin E research done only with the alpha tocopherol portion of vitamin E (and the synthetic DL variety at that) does not do justice to the properties of the vitamin.

Besides the fact that the tocotrienols balance the alpha tocopherol portion of the vitamin E molecule and work in synergy with it, tocotrienol research demonstrates that the tocotrienols have many health benefits over and above that of alpha tocopherol alone. The tocotrienols have emerged as vitamin E moieties with functions in health and disease that are clearly distinct from that of alpha tocopherol, and properties that are synergistic with alpha tocopherol. There are many instances where the tocotrienols surpass the tocopherols in potency and performance; neuroprotection is one of those areas.

Tocotrienols and Neuroprotection:

Tocotrienols have been called a “potent neuroprotective form of natural vitamin E”² , and have been named “potent neuroprotective agents against stroke”³ Another study confirms the neuroprotective qualities of the tocotrienols, and reports that “tocotrienol protects against stroke-associated brain damage”, and that “taken orally, tocotrienols are bioavailable to all vital organs” (Sen CK, et al. 2007)

Significant protection from mercury-induced neuronal cell death has been observed with both tocopherols and tocotrienols. Even though tocopherols were effective, researchers observed that tocotrienols are multi-fold more potent than tocopherols in protecting brain neuronal cells against mercury neurotoxicity, and that it only took a micro-molar concentration of tocotrienols (but not tocopherols) to show complete protection by an antioxidant mechanism. “These results suggested that oxidative events may contribute to methyl mercury (MeHg) toxicity in isolated cerebellar granule neurons, and that tocotrienols are potent supplements for pharmacological protection of the developing brain exposed to MeHg”⁴

Tocotrienols and the Heart:

Several studies suggest that the tocotrienols are very cardioprotective. One study even rated the tocotrienols as to their cardioprotective power, and found that, “The gamma-isoform of tocotrienol was the most cardioprotective of all the isomers followed by the alpha- and delta-isoforms” (Das S, et al. 2008.)

“Tocotrienols attenuate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, atherosclerosis, and reduced ventricular arrythmias”, in addition to the fact that “tocotrienol-mediated cardioprotection is also achieved through the preconditioning-like effect, the best yet devised method of cardioprotection”⁵

Additionally, while it is known that high dose (1200 IUs or more) of alpha tocopherol may have adverse effects on blood pressure because it lowers the levels of synergistic components like tocotrienols, the tocotrienols appear to have a favorable effect on blood pressure.⁶

Tocotrienols and Cholesterol:

Another area in which the tocotrienols seem to outperform the tocopherols is that of cholesterol. Natural methods of tackling cholesterol are constantly being sought, and the tocotrienols are making headlines in this arena too. Additionally, the tocotrienols provide antioxidant protection of the cholesterol that many believe to be more important than lowering the quantity of cholesterol. The tocotrienols have been shown to reduce Total cholesterol; reduce LDL (the bad) cholesterol (over 40% in some studies; 90% in cell studies!); reduce triglycerides; reduce Apo B; improve the HDL profile; and increase coenzyme Q 10 levels (up to 300% in vitro!)^7,8

Another study reported that tocotrienols “possess potent antioxidant, anticancer, and cholesterol lowering activities”, and they additionally reported that they possess potent anti-inflammatory activity, probably by inhibiting substances like cox 2 and NF-kappaB expression.⁹

Summary

The tocotrienols are powerful substances, and they work together synergistically to accomplish all the benefits described in the literature. It is clear that the more they are researched (and the more that people learn how to pronounce the tricky name), the more we will learn about the sleeper nutrients called tocotrienols.

References

1. Sen CK, et al. Tocotrienols in health and disease: the other half of the natural vitamin E family. Mol Aspects Med. 2007 Oct-Dec;28(5-6):692-728.

2. Sen CK, Khanna S, Roy S. Tocotrienol: the natural vitamin E to defend the nervous system? Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Dec;1031:127-42.

3. Das S, et al. Cardioprotection with palm oil tocotrienols: comparision of different isomers. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2008 Feb;294(2):H970-8.

4. Shichiri M, et al. Protection of cerebellar granule cells by tocopherols and tocotrienols against methylmercury toxicity. Brain Res. 2007 Nov 28;1182:106-15.

5. Das S, et al. Tocotrienols in cardioprotection. Vitam Horm. 2007;76:419-33.

6. Rasool AHet al. Arterial compliance and vitamin E blood levels with a self emulsifying preparation of tocotrienol rich vitamin E. Arch Pharm Res. 2008 Sep;31(9):1212-7.

7. Qureshi, AA. et al. Dose-dependent suppression of serum cholesterol by tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF25) of rice bran in hypercholesterolemic humans. Atherosclerosis. 2002 Mar;161(1):199-207;

8. Bentinger M, et al. Polyisoprenoid epoxides stimulate the biosynthesis of coenzyme Q and inhibit cholesterol synthesis. J Biol Chem. 2008 May 23;283(21):14645-53.

9. Wu SJ, et al. Tocotrienol-rich fraction of palm oil exhibits anti-inflammatory property by suppressing the expression of inflammatory mediators in human monocytic cells. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2008 52(8):921-9.

Chiropractic BioPhysics, Nutriwest