Tocotrienol Vitamin E: Potential Anti-Cancer?
August 6, 2007 by Gloria Gamat
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
The fat-soluble Vitamin E exists in eight different forms, the most popular being alpha-tocopherol – the most active form of Vitamin E in humans and a very powerful biological antioxidant.
There are eight forms of vitamin E: four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta).
Alpha-tocopherol (alpha-Toc) is the main source found in supplements and in the European diet, while gamma-tocopherol (gamma-Toc) is the most common form in the American diet.
Tocotrienols are only minor components in plants, although several sources with relatively high levels include palm oil, cereal grains and rice bran.
Gaining popularity is one of the less well known form of Vitamin E – tocotrienols – because of its association to the prevention of the formation of new blood vessels, thereby holding promise against various diseases, including cancer – as suggested by a new animal study by Japanese researchers.
As reported by the researchers in the Journal of Nutrition:
“Our findings suggest that tocotrienol has potential as a therapeutic dietary supplement for preventing angiogenic disorders, and therefore future clinical study will be required to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tocotrienol.”
Find more details from NutraIngredients.
