A Pharmaceutical Point of View

Willner Chemists The Oldest & Largest Nutritional Pharmacy in New York

Tocotrienols - FAQ's - What Are Tocotrienols?

Tocotrienols are extracted and concentrated from rice bran oil distillate. Tocotrienols are a family of dietary supplements related to vitamin E and are considered to be powerful antioxidants. Tocotrienols can be found in the oil derived from rice bran, palm fruit, barley, and wheat germ. Commercial quantities of tocotrienols are extracted from the distillate of palm and rice bran oil. Natural sources of tocotrienols, such as rice bran oil, contain a mixture of tocotrienols and tocopherols (vitamin E). While very similar in structure to vitamin E, tocotrienols contain three double bonds in the carbon side chain of the molecule. This small difference in structure results in distinct functional differences between vitamin E and tocotrienols. Vitamin E has several forms, alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-, that are also in tocotrienols. Gamma-tocotrienol is the most prevalent form in nature, and it also appears to be the form with the strongest potential for dietary health benefits as demonstrated by recent scientific studies.

What Do Tocotrienols Do?

Scientific studies suggest that dietary intake of tocotrienols may act as cellular antioxidants that may help maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. Some researchers believe that antioxidants such as tocotrienols may help counter the effects of exposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation.

What Does Research Show Concerning Dietary Tocotrienols and Cardiovascular Health?

Carotid atherosclerosis refers to the narrowing of the carotid artery due to blockage or inelasticity that may result in a decrease in blood flow to the brain. Medical research suggests that patients with confirmed carotid atherosclerosis who consumed approximately 240 mg of tocotrienols/ day for 18-24 months had a decrease in the amount of cholesterol laden plaque in their carotid artery, while those receiving the placebo did not show such an effect.

What Has Been Done Regarding Tocotrienols and Cell Research?

The use of tocotrienols in breast cancer research is in its infancy, but two recent studies show some promise Cell culture studies suggest that the addition of a tocopherol/ tocotrienol blend to the culture media tends to reduce cell growth and may result in inhibiting the spread of cancer cells. Vitamin E alone did not have any effect on the cells. In vitro and rodent studies suggest that tocotrienols may also be helpful in inhibiting other cancer cell lines and may inhibit some carcinogens

How Do Tocotrienols Act as Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are compounds that scientists believe counteract cell damage caused by excess oxygen or the activity of free radicals. Free radicals are reactive compounds generated by our normal biological processes, and their induction is accelerated by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, pollution, cigarette smoke, and other environmental and biological stress factors. If high levels of free radicals remain active in our bodies, they can break down cell membranes and damage cell DNA. Free radical activity has been implicated in a number of chronic diseases. Antioxidants; are one of the body's natural defenses against the damage that may be caused by free radicals. Vitamin E has long been known as an important antioxidant nutrient. Tocotrienols also have antioxidant activity. Some studies suggest that the antioxidant potential of tocotrienols is even greater than that of vitamin E in certain types of fatty cell membranes and in parts of brain cells. Tocotrienols have also been found to be effective antioxidants when applied topically to help counteract the effects of ultraviolet radiation Topical application of tocotrienols helps to fight oxidative damage to the skin while preserving the existing vitamin E level in skin cells.

Can I Get Tocotrienols Simply From Using Rice Oil in Cooking?

Rice bran oil does have some tocotrienols as well as vitamin E but the levels found are very low, approximately 0. 1 %. One would have to consume about I cup of rice bran oil or palm oil per day to get the amount of tocotrienols that research studies suggest may have a beneficial effect. This would obviously result in excessive consumption of fat and calories. Other oils such as corn, soybean, canola, and sunflower have virtually no tocotrienols in them. Scientific studies that have shown potential benefits of dietary supplementation have been conducted with refined fractions of rice or palm oils in which the tocotrienols have been extracted and concentrated.

Are Tocotrienols Considered Vitamins?

Tocotrienols belong to the family of vitamin E compounds, and alpha-tocotrienol has some vitamin E activity. The United States Food and Drug Administration and the United States Pharmacopeia have not assigned vitamin E activity to tocotrienols for their use in commercial products.

Can Tocotrienols Take the Place of Vitamin E in the Diet?

No, tocotrienols themselves cannot replace vitamin E in the diet. While tocotrienols are similar in their chemical structure to vitamin E, they do not appear to function in exactly the same way as vitamin E in the body. Tocotrienols cannot be taken to fulfill the suggested RDI, reference daily intake, for vitamin E. Only alpha-tocopherol or compounds containing alpha-tocopherol can be used to fulfill the requirement for vitamin E. Tocotrienols, naturally derived from rice bran oil, contain a mixture of natural tocotrienols and tocopherols. The d-alpha-tocopherol content of tocotrienols is a typically at least 100 IU/gram.

I Take Vitamin E, Why Should I Consider Taking Tocotrienols?

Vitamin E supplements generally contain only alpha-tocopherol. New research suggests that gamma-tocopherol and tocotrienols may also be important nutrients for maintaining overall health. Nature provides mixtures of antioxidant nutrients in many plants and foods that may work together to maintain health. It seems logical to consider imitating nature's mixture of antioxidants in the dietary supplements we take.

Are Tocotrienols Safe?

Research conducted with the highest levels of tocotrienols in humans suggests that consumption of 240 mg/day for 18-24 months resulted in no adverse effects Toxicity studies conducted with animals indicate that tocotrienols are safe when consumed at levels up to 12,000 mg/day,

Should Everyone Take Tocotrienol Supplements?

Scientific evidence supporting the dietary benefit of tocotrienols is relatively new. Most of the focus has been on individuals with specific health risks. Any individual with a known health disorder should consult his/her physician before considering a dietary supplementation regime. These individuals may be most likely to benefit from a dietary supplement containing tocotrienols at the levels used in the aforementioned research studies. However, we are all exposed to the effects of free radicals. Tocotrienols are powerful antioxidants that may add to the body's defense against free radical activity. Daily consumption of moderate amounts of tocotrienols may be beneficial to all adults interested in optimizing their long-term nutrient status.

Abstracted from information provided by Eastman Chemical Company.