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Dr. Barrie Tan earned his BS (Chemistry) and Ph.D. (Analytical Chemistry) at the University of Otago, New Zealand, and later became a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (Chemistry and Food Science/Nutrition). His research expertise included lipid-soluble materials such as carotenoids, tocotrienols/tocopherols, CoQ10, omega 3s, and cholesterol. He was the first to introduce tocotrienol's benefits to our nutrition industry. He founded American River Nutrition, Inc. (www.AmericanRiverNutrition.com) in 1998 and developed the first ever tocopherol-free tocotrienol product derived from annatto beans. Benefits of Tocotrienol Supplementation (Tocopherol-Free): |
Cholesterol BalanceTM DG is a vitamin E supplement that naturally balances the body's cholesterol levels. In addition, it regulates some of the other cardiovascular disease risk factors, including plaque build-up in arteries and sugar levels. While tocopherols stand out as the more popular, widely distributed vitamin E (as found in most multivitamins), Cholesterol BalanceTM DG contains the lesser known, but potent cholesterol reducer tocotrienol. Although both are part of the vitamin E family, their applications vary. Tocopherol's main application, for example, is as antioxidant (1), whereas tocotrienols have many added benefits.
Why are tocotrienols superior to tocopherols?
Tocotrienols are by no means supposed to replace tocopherols. Tocopherols were discovered in 1922 as vital nutrient to protect against birth defects (2). Both tocopherols and tocotrienols are excellent antioxidants. However, tocotrienols, because they are made up of a slightly different and more mobile molecular structure, have benefits that go far beyond those of antioxidants. In addition, Cholesterol BalanceTM DG contains the most effective component of tocotrienols - delta-tocotrienol - using a patented solvent-free extraction method from the wholesome rainforest annatto plant.
Why should Cholesterol BalanceTM DG be taken apart from other vitamin E supplements?
The majority of vitamin E supplements, including multivitamins, contain mostly tocopherols in the form of the popular alpha-tocopherol. Recent studies have shown that alpha-tocopherol can interfere with with tocotrienol's benefits by
1. Blocking absorption of tocotrienols (3)
2. Compromising tocotrienol's ability to reduce cholesterol (4)
3. Inducing premature breakdown of tocotrienols (5)
4. Increases cholesterol in high doses (6, 7)
To avoid interferences with alpha-tocopherol, tocotrienols such as contained in Cholesterol BalanceTM DG should be taken at least 6 hours apart, preferably with a meal.
Current Indications and Research on Tocotrienols
Cholesterol Reduction: Tocotrienols degrade the enzyme that produces cholesterol in the body. This is important especially since 90% of cholesterol is produced in the body, while only 10% is taken in from the diet. Clinical studies show that LDL levels drop by 15-20% within ~2 months of supplementation (8).
Triglyceride Reduction: Tocotrienols can manage prediabetes and diabetes, and reduce symptoms of diabetes, including high blood pressure (9). In clinical studies, triglyceride levels dropped 20-30% (8).
Plaque Reduction: Atherosclerosis is the thickening, narrowing, and hardening of the arteries. Tocotrienols have been found to reduce the plaque build-up in atherosclerotic arteries (10).
Cellular Health: Tocotrienols have implications in cancer research of the breast (11), prostate (12), skin (13), colorectum (14), and pancreas (15).
Antioxidant Activity: Tocotrienols are 4-40 times more effective as antioxidant than vitamin E alpha-tocopherol (16-18).
Skin Protection: Tocotrienols penetrate rapidly through the skin, protecting the deeper skin layer from oxidative aging induced by UV or ozone (18, 19).
References:
1. Traber MG, Atkinson J. Vitamin E, antioxidant and nothing more. Free Radic Biol Med 43:4-15, 2007.
2. Evans HM, Bishop KS. On the existence of a hitherto unrecognized dietary factor essential for reproduction. Science 56:650-651, 1922.
3. Ikeda S, Tohyama T, Yoshimura H, Hamamura K, Abe K, Yamashita K. Dietary alpha-tocopherol decreases alpha-tocotrienol but not gamma-tocotrienol concentration in rats. J Nutr 133:428-434, 2003.
4. Qureshi AA. Tocopherol attenuates the impact of gamma-tocotrienol on HMG-CoA reductase activity in chickens. J Nutr 126:389-394, 1996.
5. Sontag TJ, Parker RS. Influence of major structural features of tocopherols and tocotrienols on their omega-oxidation by tocopherol-omega-hydroxylase. J Lipid Res 48:1090-1098, 2007.
6. Khor HT, Ng TT. Effects of administration of alpha-tocopherol and tocotrienols on serum lipids and liver HMG CoA reductase activity. Int J Food Sci Nutr 51 Suppl:S3-11, 2000.
7. Stocker A. Molecular mechanisms of vitamin E transport. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1031:44-59, 2004.
8. Tan B, Mueller AM. Tocotrienols in Cardiometabolic Diseases. In: Watson R, Ed. Tocotrienols: Vitamin E beyond Tocopherol: AOCS Press, 2008.
9. Newaz MA, Yousefipour Z, Nawal N, Adeeb N. Nitric oxide synthase activity in blood vessels of spontaneously hypertensive rats: antioxidant protection by gamma-tocotrienol. J Physiol Pharmacol 54:319-327, 2003.
10. Watkins TR, Bierenbaum ML, Giampaolo A. Tocotrienols: Biological, and health effects. In: Papas A, Ed. Antioxidant status, diet, nutrition, and health. Boca Raton: CRC Press, p479-496, 1999.
11. Yu FL, Gapor A, Bender W. Evidence for the preventive effect of the polyunsaturated phytol side chain in tocotrienols on 17beta-estradiol epoxidation. Cancer Detect Prev 29:383-388, 2005.
12. Conte C, Floridi A, Aisa C, Piroddi M, Floridi A, Galli F. Gamma-tocotrienol metabolism and antiproliferative effect in prostate cancer cells. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1031:391-394, 2004.
13. McAnally JA, Gupta J, Sodhani S, Bravo L, Mo H. Tocotrienols potentiate lovastatin-mediated growth suppression in vitro and in vivo. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 232:523-531, 2007.
14. Eitsuka T, Nakagawa K, Miyazawa T. Down-regulation of telomerase activity in DLD-1 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells by tocotrienol. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 348:170-175, 2006.
15. Malafa MP, Sebti S. Delta-Tocotrienol Treatment and Prevention of Pancreatic Cancer. In. US: Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, University of South Florida (Tampa), 2008.
16. Palozza P, Verdecchia S, Avanzi L, Vertuani S, Serini S, Iannone A, Manfredini S. Comparative antioxidant activity of tocotrienols and the novel chromanyl-polyisoprenyl molecule FeAox-6 in isolated membranes and intact cells. Mol Cell Biochem 287:21-32, 2006.
17. Qureshi AA, Mo H, Packer L, Peterson DM. Isolation and identification of novel tocotrienols from rice bran with hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant, and antitumor properties. J Agric Food Chem 48:3130-3140, 2000.
18. Packer L, Weber SU, Rimbach G. Molecular aspects of alpha-tocotrienol antioxidant action and cell signalling. J Nutr 131:369S-373S, 2001.
19. Traber MG, Rallis M, Podda M, Weber C, Maibach HI, Packer L. Penetration and distribution of alpha-tocopherol, alpha- or gamma-tocotrienols applied individually onto murine skin. Lipids 33:87-91, 1998.