Vitamin E for the New Millennium

Alternative
Medicine.com

for the

New
Millennium

by Betty Kamen, Ph.D.

Palm Oil Tocotrienols have superior
antioxidant effects and fewer contraindications than
the tocopherol-based vitamin E that has been
the supplement standard.

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 contributing factor in the increase of degenerative diseases--no surprise to anyone who understands vitamin E as it relates to our changing foodways and our unchanging biochemistry (see sidebar).

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 cell-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. As such, vitamin E is recognized as an essential nutrient.

Tocotrienols are fat-soluble vitamins related to the tocopherol family (the vitamin E you are more familiar with). 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 protective effect of palm oil tocotrienol as a potent antioxidant is significantly higher than that of the dominant form of vitamin E: alpha-tocopherol. Phyto-tocotrienols help to reduce cholesterol and have anti-thrombotic effects, thereby helping to prevent cardiovascular disease. They also demonstrate anti-cancer effects.

The term vitamin E is now considered a generic name describing the bioactivity of both tocopherol 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. People in the Asian Pacific Rim eat high levels of palm oil and have a very low incidence of breast cancer. This anecdotal evidence is now confirmed by reputable studies.

Although fat-soluble, vitamin E isn't stored as readily as the other fat-soluble vitamins--A, D, and K. You probably 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.

What are the benefits of palm tocotrienols?

Researchers in Malaysia have known of the benefits
of palm oil (the second most widely-used vegetable
oil in the world) for ten years. A bias against the oil
in the U.S. prevented its acceptance until recently.
Medical journals now praise coconut palm oil
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 accompany aging.

* The gamma and delta forms of 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 lipid peroxidation (the oxidation of fats).

* Palm oil tocotrienol is a significantly more potent antioxidant than 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.)

* Lipid peroxides in blood vessels and plasma show a positive correlation with blood pressure. The antioxidant ability of gamma tocotrienol (one of the active forms of tocotrienols) 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, a dose of 200 milligrams of palm tocotrienols per day reduced total cholesterol between 15% and 33% in six to eight weeks. More good news is that the HDL level (the "good guy" cholesterol) was not affected.

* The delta and gamma fractions 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, U.K.; University of Louisiana, U.S.; 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 doses--just as almost 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 you can see that a very low dosage is required to accomplish its favorable role of cancer-cell annihilation.

These facts beg the question, "How can I 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, and the perfect solution to the dilemma of free radical damage and vitamin E deficiency.

How much tocotrienol supplement should I take and how safe is it?

Tocotrienols are extremely 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 need only use a dosage of 30 to 50 milligrams of tocotrienols daily, as recommended by research scientists.

Medicine Recognizes the Major
Health Benefits of Vitamin E

Although conventional medical journals often condemn the use of many supplements, vitamin E supplementation has been described favorably in these medical journals. In fact, the medical literature our conventional 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 non-fatal myocardial infarction.
* Vitamin E enhances gastric healing (recovery from stomach problems).
* 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.
* Vitamin E application can reduce damage to lipids in our skin, a consequence of ozone exposure.
* 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 ultraviolet (UV) induced immunosuppression.
* French clinicians demonstrate that vitamin E supplementation may help to prevent age-related retinal macular degeneration, another problem increasing in almost epidemic proportions.

What should I look for when buying 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 (needed in the production of energy for your heart muscle), and mixed carotenoids, thus offering a "platter" of a natural and wholesome phyto-nutrients.

Some formulas include additional phyto-nutrients, such as 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.

You can also look for a natural palm tocotrienol product combined with a phyto-carotenoid complex. In addition to the full range of tocotrienols, such a product may contain carotene, lycopene, natural palm squalene, and phytosterols commonly found in fruits and vegetables. This type of supplement contains a ratio of carotenes that mirror the carotenoid content found in carrots. A good mix!

You may be aware that vitamin E is used extensively in cosmetics and other personal care products. The reason is that 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.

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% of the total in a properly processed product! It's the delta fraction that is also responsible for being the most effective inhibitor of estrogen-negative breast cancer cells.

Buying a whole product

It makes sense that the presence of other factors inherent in palm oil contribute to the effectiveness of the delta fraction. 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; 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 palm tocotrienols from crude palm oil without the use of toxic solvents (used in processing many oils) and without adverse environmental impact.

**It's Easy to Be Vitamin E Deficient**
* 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 to counteract this oxidation 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, adding to deficiency.	* 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 when women take the widely prescribed synthetic estrogens.

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 awful 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 indicates tocotrienol to be a better antioxidant. 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."

Palm oil tocotrienols are capable of hindering tumor growth
and diminishing breast cancer and skin cancer.
Residents of the Asia-Pacific Rim who consume palm oil have a
lower instance of breast cancer than residents of other areas.

"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 blood pressure have been warned not to use vitamin E supplementation. Large doses of tocopherol (over 1,200 IUs) may have a mild immune-suppressing effect. Those with 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 coconut palm oil in their natural context do not present these problems, even at higher dosages. You can see why I believe that total palm tocotrienols will be one of the top-reigning supplements in this new century.

References:

Med Hypothesis 1999 Oct;53(4):315-25.
* Int J Exp Pathol 1999 Oct;80(5):259-263.
* Proc Nutr Soc 1999 Aug;58(3):733-42.
* Proc Nutr Soc 1999 Aug:58(3):697-705.
* Pharmacotherapy 1999 Dec;19(12):1400-14.
* Horm Metab Res 1999 Nov;31(11):620-4.
* Ann Clin Psychiatry 1999 Dec;11(4):257-66.
* Int J Radiat Biol 1999 Jun;75(6):747-55.
* Clin Biochem 1999 Jul;32(5):309-19.
* Clin Exp Hypertens 1999 Nov;21(8):1297-313.
* Nutr Cancer 1999;33(1):26-32.
* Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 1998 Dec;121(4):393-6.
* Lipids 1998 May;33(5):461-9.
* Lipids 1998 Jan;33(1):87-91.
* Mol Cell Biochem 1997 May;170(12):131-7.
* Febs Lett 1997 Jan20;401(2-3):161-70.
* Arch Ophthalmol 1999;117:1384-1390.

Contact:

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