Betty Kamen's Underground Nutrition Newsletter
Copyright © 2000 Betty Kamen by Nutrition Encounter, Novato, CA 94948

All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means or for any reason without the consent of the publisher. The information contained is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this newsletter. Please consult your health professional for any matter relating to your health. Readers who fail to consult with appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries. The information and opinions provided are believed to be accurate and sound, based on our best judgment. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. Statements made in this issue have not necessarily been evaluated by the FDA. Products discussed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Newsletter Number Six - Reprinted With Permission

Palm Oil Tocotrienols

Vitamin E for the New Millennium

About ten years ago, after lecturing in Malaysia, I was invited to visit and confer with a group of scientists who were involved in palm oil research in Kuala Lumpur. I knew that the United States used very little palm oil, so you can imagine my surprise when I learned that palm oil is the second most common vegetable oil produced in the world. On my return home, I wrote the first article about this subject for American audiences. Eventually, the importance of tocotrienols derived from palm oil began to surface here, and now it is not uncommon to see tocotrienols incorporated as a main ingredient in many supplements.

The information that follows is based on the newest research and developments, and, consequently, the availability of the newest and best palm oil tocotrienol supplements - an addition to your regimen that will surely be in your best health interest.

WHAT ARE TOCOTRIENOLS?

Tocotrienols are fat-soluble vitamins related to the family of tocopherols. They are natural compounds found in various foods and oils such as palm olein, rice bran oil, wheat germ, barley, saw palmetto, and certain types of nuts and grains. The term vitamin E is now considered to be a generic name describing the bioactivity of both tocopherol (the vitamin E you are more familiar with) and tocotrienol derivatives. There are, however, distinguishing differences in the chemical structures of these two classes of vitamin E, and the variance is dramatic. (Just one quick example: Tocotrienols have the power to inhibit or kill tumors; not so with tocopherols. Read on.)

Vitamin E is recognized as an essential nutrient. Although fat-soluble, it isn't stored as readily as the other fat-soluble vitamins - A, D, and K. The average diet today contains significantly less natural vitamin E than it did 50 years ago, and 50 years ago it was much less available than at the turn of the last century. Vitamin E deficiency has been a major contribution to the increase in degenerative diseases - no surprise to anyone who understands vitamin E as it relates to our changing foodways and our unchanging biochemistry.

Note The Following:

• All vitamin Es are somewhat unstable and readily used up when in contact with polyunsaturated or rancid fats and oils.
  

• The processing and milling of food, bleaching of flours, and even ordinary cooking remove most of the vitamin E content of whole foods.

• Fried foods contain oxidized fat byproducts, thereby increasing our requirement for vitamin E whenever we eat these foods - which, by the way, are usually devoid of any vitamin E to begin with!

• Chlorine, a component of tap water, reduces the absorption of vitamin E.

• Estrogen, the second most widely prescribed drug in this country (the first is Viagra), also depletes vitamin E, increasing your body's demand for this nutrient.

• Since vitamin E enhances the use of estrogen stores in adrenal and fat tissues, its deficiency in our food supply explains, in part, why so many women are placed on estrogen therapy. The estrogen may be present, but not released without the crucial vitamin E. Since estrogen depletes vitamin E, a vicious cycle is started with the widely prescribed synthetic estrogens.

The tocopherol family of vitamin E includes the forms alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, and zeta, with D-alpha tocopherol as the most potent. As for the tocotrienols, the forms are alpha, beta, gamma, and delta, with delta having the greatest potency of all commercially available tocotrienols. Among our mistakes, we have isolated the most active components and offered them for general use. Although the isolated active parts have their place for specific therapeutic use, we have learned that for most applications the whole is far superior to the parts.

The primary function of vitamin E is to serve as an antioxidant. Without vitamin E, cell membranes, active enzyme sites, and DNA are less protected from free radical damage. (Free radicals are DNA-damaging particles that are a byproduct of metabolism and created by certain processed foods, especially those heated at high temperatures or those that rancidify quickly because of their high oil content.) Vitamin E must modify and stabilize blood fats so that your blood vessels, heart, and entire body are more protected from frequently occurring free radical-induced injury.

You probably already know that butter, egg yolk, milk fat, and liver are your best sources of tocopherol/vitamin E from foods - the very foods we are warned to delete from our diets. Tocotrienols only occur at very low levels in nature, with the highest concentration found in palm oil. So it is virtually impossible to attain the amount of tocotrienols that show beneficial effects from your diet alone. For example, you would have to consume a cup of palm oil a day to get the level required for effectiveness as described in the studies cited below. And for totally unfounded reasons, we have that negative view of palm oil in the United States - a perspective I have been trying to change for many years! New studies support the fact that palm oil should indeed have a place in a prudent diet, contradicting a myth that is peculiar only to this country.

Unlike condemnation of the use of so many other supplements, vitamin E supplementation has been described favorably in our traditional medical journals. In fact, the medical literature our traditional doctor reads advises that vitamin E is one supplement that can have many incredible major health benefits. In recent issues of these prestigious journals, the following statements have been made:

• Epidemiological studies demonstrate a positive relationship between vitamin E and the prevention of atherosclerosis and vascular diseases, even those affecting the brain.

• Vitamin E can promote the breakdown of homocysteine by lessening the adverse impact of oxidants on endothelial function.

• Vitamin E may decrease the risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction.

• Vitamin E enhances gastric healing.

• The result of strenuous exercise impairing natural immunity is reduced in the presence of vitamin E.

• The protective effect of vitamin E against viral or bacterial infections in experimentally challenged young animals has been reported. Resistance to the flu was demonstrated in both young and old test animals.

• Because vitamin E is reduced in the presence of hyperthyroidism, nutritional support with this nutrient is recommended.

• Ozone exposure causes damage to lipids in our skin, a consequence that can be reduced by vitamin E application.

• Vitamin E has shown promising results for tardive dyskinesia. (Tardive dyskinesia is a syndrome of potentially irreversible, involuntary movements that may develop in patients who have been treated with anti-psychotic medications long-term. A list of other drugs may also cause the problem.)

• Vitamin E can be used to prevent systemic ultra violet (UV)-induced immunosuppression.

• French clinicians demonstrate that vitamin E supplementation may help to prevent age-related macular degeneration, another problem increasing in almost epidemic proportions.

How can you get enough vitamin E?

I have joined the group of researchers who predict that tocotrienols will be the "new and improved" vitamin E supplement for the 21st century. It is a natural and more potent vitamin E, with many additional biological benefits over the more customary tocopherols.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PALM TOCOTRIENOLS?

Research has been demonstrating the value of palm tocotrienol supplementation. Among the results:

• Human studies have shown that palm tocotrienols have the ability to reverse blockage of the carotid artery and platelet aggregation (the clumping together of cells) thereby reducing the risk of stroke, arteriosclerosis, and other heart disease problems.

• Tocotrienols can help to prevent skin aging and damage from free radicals generated by UV rays and from environmental pollutants. Melanoma, also on the increase, can be inhibited with the delta fraction of tocotrienols. (Melanoma is a serious disease of tumors of the skin and other organs, too often malignant.) When applied topically, vitamin E/tocotrienols are quickly absorbed into the deep layers of the skin.

• Studies with test animals show that the tocotrienol-rich fraction of palm oil is capable of protecting your brain against oxidative damage and thereby from the ensuing adverse alterations that aaccompany aging.

• Gamma- and delta-tocotrienols derived from palm oil exhibit a strong activity against tumor promotion by inhibiting Epstein- Barr virus. (Tocopherols lack this 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 oxidation and, as stated above, lipid peroxidation.

• Lipid peroxides in blood vessels and plasma show a positive correlation with blood pressure. The antioxidant ability of gamma-tocotrienol may prevent development of increased blood pressure by reducing lipid peroxides and enhancing the total antioxidant status, including superoxide dismutase activity.

• Palm tocotrienols, as demonstrated by both human and animal studies, can reduce the production of total serum cholesterol. Tocopherol does not have this effect. The tocotrienols 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 6 to 8 weeks. More good news is that the HDL level (the "good guy" cholesterol) was not affected.

• The protective effect of palm oil tocotrienol as a potent antioxidant is significantly higher than that of the dominant form of vitamin E/alpha-tocopherol. Studies continue to show that this fraction from palm oil can be considered as an effective natural antioxidant supplement capable of protecting cellular membranes against oxidative damage. It can be 40 to 60 times more powerful than vitamin E in the prevention of lipid peroxidation. (Again: Oxidation leads to free radicals, the underlying cause of so many diseases.)

• The delta and gamma factions of tocotrienols can inhibit certain types of cancer, including human breast cancer. Four different research centers in the world have demonstrated that these particular tocotrienols can inhibit both the estrogen- positive and estrogen-negative breast cancer cells. These four centers are: University of Reading, UK; University of Louisiana, USA; University of Western Ontario, Canada; and the Palm Oil Research Institute, Malaysia.

  With the ongoing increase in breast cancer, the inhibition of the growth of breast cancer cells by palm tocotrienols could have extraordinarily important clinical implications on world health. Not only can the palm tocotrienols prevent the growth of these unwanted cells, but they can also do this in the presence as well as in the absence of estradiol, thereby protecting against both hormone-related and other kinds of breast cancer! It is interesting to note that tocotrienols can inhibit or even kill normal cells, but only in extremely high amounts -- just as most any beneficial substance can be detrimental in excessive quantity. Malignant cells, on the other hand, are very sensitive to tocotrienols. In fact, the more cancerous the cell, the more susceptible it is to the destructive effects of tocotrienol, so very little is required to accomplish its favorable role of cancer-cell annihilation.

  My friends in the Asian Pacific Rim eat high levels of palm oil and have a very low incidence of breast cancer. Anecdotal, to be sure, but now understood and confirmed by so many reputable studies.

  HOW MUCH TOCOTRIENOL SHOULD I TAKE AND IS IT SAFE?

  Since excess amounts of vitamin E are usually eliminated by your wise body, toxicity is unlikely. Toxicological and pharmacological studies show that supplementation with palm tocotrienols up to 2,500 milligrams per day per kilogram of body weight does not produce any significant side effects. And surely, for most purposes, we do not require anything close to this amount.

  Although higher levels can be used for therapeutic purposes, those who want to enhance their antioxidant intake can use 30 to 50 milligrams of tocotrienols daily, as recommended by research scientists. Some formulas include additional phyto-nutrients, such as CoQ10. (CoQ10 is needed in the production of energy for your heart muscle and has been shown to improve heart health.) Other formulas may include soy isoflavones, Ginkgo biloba, or beta-sitosterol. (Beta-sitosterol can help to prevent cholesterol uptake in your GI tract. By binding the cholesterol, it can prevent the cholesterol from being absorbed into your blood.) Additional phyto-nutrients, designed by some of our best formulators, provide synergy for the palm tocotrienols.

  HOW ELSE ARE TOCOTRIENOLS USED?

  You may be aware that vitamin E is used extensively in cosmetics and other personal care products. This is because vitamin E is the major lipid soluble antioxidant in your skin. As a more potent antioxidant, tocotrienols have greater beneficial actions on your skin - the first line of defense against free radicals generated by our environment.

  WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR WHEN PURCHASING TOCOTRIENOLS?

  Look for a natural, palm oil-derived tocotrienol product. If minimally processed, it should also contain the other phyto- nutrients found naturally in palm oil. These include phytosterols, squalene, CoQ10, and mixed carotenoids, thus offering a "platter" of a natural and wholesome phyto-nutrient complex.

  Of all the tocotrienols, the delta-tocotrienol has the best chemical makeup to neutralize free radicals. That's why it's considered the most powerful antioxidant. Delta-tocotrienols are scarce (rice-based tocotrienols contain only negligible amounts), but palm-derived tocotrienols boast significant amounts - in fact, 10 percent of the total in a properly processed product! It's the delta faction that is also responsible for being the most effective for inhibiting estrogen-negative breast cancer cells.

  It makes sense that the presence of other factors inherent in palm oil contribute to the effectiveness of the delta faction. I cannot emphasize enough that consuming the whole product, rather than isolates, is the best approach. No doubt as we continue the research other advantages will surface for the various, perhaps as yet unidentified, constituents in palm tocotrienols. Greater power is always achieved from whole, more natural substances than from their parts. When it comes to optimal health, research and clinical observation continue to prove that the gestalt is primary. Basic patterns and relationships cannot be reduced to simpler components within natural laws; that is, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The companies producing the best products observe this principle to the fullest. These companies also extract and concentrate their palm tocotrienols from crude palm oil without the use of solvents and with no adverse environmental impact.

  I discovered one natural palm tocotrienol product combined with a phyto-carotenoid complex. In addition to the full range of tocotrienols, this product contains carotene, lycopene, natural palm squalene, and phytosterols commonly found in fruits and vegetables. This supplement contains a ratio of carotenes that mirror the carotenoid content found in carrots. A good mix!

  IN SUMMARY

  In summary: Phyto-tocotrienols help to reduce cholesterol, they are anti-carcinogenic, and they have anti-tumor and anti- thrombotic effects, thereby helping to prevent cardiovascular disease. This undoubtedly appears to be a supplement that can make a major contribution to changing our worst ill-health statistics.

  An excellent article appeared recently in Clinical Biochemistry (1999 Jul;32[5]:309-19), reviewing the therapeutic potential of tocotrienols. The report stated:

  "The biological activity of vitamin E has generally been associated with its well-defined antioxidant property, specifically against lipid peroxidation in biological membranes. In the vitamin E group, alpha-tocopherol is considered to be the most active form. However, recent research has suggested tocotrienol to be a better antioxidantÖ.The physiological activities of tocotrienol in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer may have significant clinical implications. From the pharmacological point-of-view, the current formulation of vitamin E supplements, which is comprised mainly of alpha- tocopherol, may be questionable."

  I could not agree more, especially with the last sentence. The kind of supplemental tocopherol-vitamin E with which we have been familiar has its problems. People with high rheumatic heart disease or those undergoing digitalis or anticoagulant therapy are cautioned against vitamin E supplementation because it may increase the anticoagulant effects of these medicines.

  But low levels of vitamin E are associated with acne, anemia, infections, some cancers, periodontal disease, cholesterol gallstones, neuromuscular diseases, and dementias such as Alzheimer's disease. Deficiency is also more likely in adults with gastrointestinal disease, poor fat digestion and metabolism, or with pancreatic insufficiency.

  How do we reconcile vitamin E supplementation and its inherent dangers with our widespread and devastating vitamin E deficiency? Tocotrienols from palm oil in their natural context do not present with these problems. You can see why I believe that total palm tocotrienols will be one of the top-reigning supplements in this new century.

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