Vitamin E seems to be more than just a single vitamin. Vitamin E actually includes 8 different compounds. Four of these are tocopherol subtypes, called alpha, beta, delta, and gamma. Alpha and gamma are by far the most important. Alpha tocopherol, the best-studied form of vitamin E, is mostly found in dietary supplements, while we can get gamma tocopherol primarily from the food we eat. Studies of alpha tocopherol revealed that this tocopherol form is most effective at saving us from heart disease.

Scientists have theorized that other compounds must exist that act like vitamin E tocopherols and work similarly to keep us fit. And in searching for these vitamin E mimics, we discovered that what we currently know and accept about vitamin E is just the beginning. Tocopherols may be just a small part of the whole story. There are now substances in the vitamin E family that are being studied and show great promise. These compounds, called tocotrienols, are another powerful group of free radical quenchers. These two types of vitamin E, the tocopherols and tocotrienols, may work synergistically in the body, creating an exciting new way to improve our health.

Tocotrienols have the same four subtypes (alpha, delta, gamma, and beta). The tocotrienols that have been studied have usually been isolated from palm oil. Tocotrienols seem to specialize in treating cancer and in lowering cholesterol and perhaps preventing heart disease. There is still much research to be done in this area, since not all tocotrienols have the same effects. For instance, a recent study in the International Journal of Cancer found that gamma and delta tocotrienols powerfully inhibited cancer cells in vitro. They did this by inhibiting the activation of Epstein-Barr virus, a common virus that most of us have been exposed to but that seems implicated in cancer in some vulnerable individuals. What does this mean for the average individual who wants to protect him- or herself from the common ailments of our time-heart disease and cancer? Eating food rich in vitamin E is one solution. Certainly all of us could benefit by taking a supplement of 400 units of vitamin E daily, as mixed tocopherols, so that we benefit from each one's abilities. For those who are already ill, higher doses of vitamin E, along with supplements of tocotrienols, may be indicated. Tocotrienols and tocopherols can both be found in the same foods, like wheat germ, bran, leafy green vegetables, and vegetable oils. Most supplements that you will find in your local health food store contain only the alpha tocopherol of vitamin E, though. Cutting-edge nutritional supplements include mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols.

TOCOTRIENOLS and CANCER A Tokyo study found that tocotrienols inhibited tumor cell growth in vitro. Tocotrienols have also been shown to be particularly effective against breast cancer and are a recommended therapy adjunctive to tamoxifen, the most popular breast cancer drug, according to a 1997 study in the i Journal of Nutrition. Tocotrienols may also protect against skin cancer; according to a study in i Experimental Biology in 1996, these cousins of vitamin E tend to be stored in the skin and protect against ultraviolet radiation. Yet another study in the International Journal of Cancer found that gamma- and delta tocotrienols strongly inhibited the growth of tumors.

Paperchase ref: 97228073 Guthrie, N., et al. "Inhibition of proliferation of estrogen receptor-negative MDA-MB-435 and -positive MCF-7 human breast cancer cells by palm oil tocotrienols and tamoxifen, alone and in combination." J Nutr (1997 Mar)

Paperchase ref: 99243627 Yu,W., et al. "Induction of apoptosis in human breast cancer cells by tocopherols and tocotrienols." Nutr Cancer (1999)

Paperchase ref: 98287275 Nesaretnam, K., et al. "Tocotrienols inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells irrespective of estrogen receptor status." Lipids (1998 May)

For more information on nutraceuticals that prevent and reverse disease read "The Nutraceutical Revolution" by Dr. Richard Firshein.

by Dr. Richard Firshein