Posted 06 September 2011 - 06:32 AM
Dear Ladies & Gentlemen:
I just came across this blog and read that there is a lot of misconception on tocotrienols, palm oil, annatto tocotrienol Vs. palm tocotrienol complex, absorption / bioavailability.
Unfortunately, there has been too many false information being disseminated in our industry, which does not augur well for the dietary supplement industry.
Allow me to set the record straight based on science !
As the first company to bring tocotrienol to the market back in 1995 and the main person since day one in the commercial tocotrienol market, I am fully aware of all the tocotrienol players in the market as well as the science behind these various sources of tocotrienols.
As such, with regard to various questions raised in this blog, allow me to share the following with you :-
Not all tocotrienols are the same - manufacturing process, ratio of the various tocotrienols, science, etc. Annatto Tocotrienol is not a full spectrum tocotrienol complex. It uses borrowed science ! The annatto tocotrienol does not have much science behind the product.
What is worse or rather amazing is that as of today - there is not even one single published human clinical trial specifically on annatto-tocotrienol. Do a search on PubMed and the only result that one will get specifically on annatto tocotrienol is the one and only one - chicken study on cholesterol reduction. That's all the science on annatto tocotrienol. Unfortunately, all the technical information on annatto tocotrienol is borrowed or inferred from natural full spectrum palm tocotrienol complex.
In addition, it is unethically right for one to convey the message touting tocoperol-free this and tocopherol-free that, as if the regular tocopherol is somewhat harmful to human! The fact is tocopherol is one of the main vitamin E in our diet. There is no denying that tocopherol has its own roles to play and beneficial to the body. There is so much science on tocopherol, the regular vitamin E.
Another important factor to remember / consider - annatto seed is not even a food, to begin with !
Being a leading pharmaceutical company, I trust that a product backed with actual science is extremely important to everyone. And as for Carotech, we are the only company that have and invested in research studies (In-vivo, In-vitro as well as human clinical trials) on our products - Tocomin®/ Tocomin SupraBio®.
There is a comment that says that most of the national brands/ dietary supplement companies uses Tocomin SupraBio® . This is not coincidental. It is based on science and the fact that Tocomin SupraBio® is the most bioavailable tocotrienol system in the market. After all - you are what you absorb and not what you eat !
Here are the facts :-
1. Delta-Tocotrienol Has the Lowest Bioavailability
Prof. Yuen and his team had reported that the absolute oral bioavailability of d-delta-tocotrienol is the lowest compare to d-gamma- and d-alpha-tocotrienol (KH Yuen et at., Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology 2003, 55: 53-58).
The absolute oral bioavailability for d-alpha-, d-gamma- and d-delta-tocotrienol (from a tocotrienol oil extract) is as follow:-
d-alpha-tocotrienol - 27.7%
d-gamma-tocotrienol - 9.1%
d-delta-tocotrienol - 8.5%
Carotech's patented and most bioavailable tocotrienol system in the world - Tocomin SupraBio® - guarantees an increase in absorption of each individual tocotrienols by an average of 250% compared to any regular tocotrienol oil extract.
This patented and bioenhanced system ensures increase absorption of the individual tocotrienols (alpha, gamma and delta-tocotrienol) by up to 300% (Average : 250%). Hence, customers are able to lower the therapeutic dosage, resulting in lower cost and most importantly, be guaranteed of increased and consistent absorption for optimum protection
As you can see – the low absolute oral bioavailability of d-delta-tocotrienol - gives a negligible amount in the plasma as compared to Tocomin SupraBio®.
2. Tocopherol’s Effect on Tocotrienols' Absorption - A Myth
In published pharmacokinetic study on vitamin E – both tocopherols and tocotrienols are well absorbed and more so, if the formulation is based on the Tocomin SupraBio® system. There is absolutely no competition at all between tocopherols and tocotrienols in term of absorption into the blood system. There is no scientific proof or publication which showed that tocopherol prevents the absorption of tocotrienols.
Reference :-
i) Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of alpha-, gamma- and delta-tocotrienol under different food status, J. of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2001, 53 : 67-71.
ii) Influence of route of administration on the absorption and disposition of alpha-, gamma- and delta-tocotrienol, J. of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2003, 55 : 53-58.
The fact is tocotrienols are absorbed irrespective of the presence of alpha-tocopherol transfer protein. Tocotrienols do not depend on alpha-tocopherol transfer protein for absorption. Prof. Chandan Sen has proven this in his published paper - "Delivery of orally supplemented a-tocotrienol to vital organs of rats
and tocopherol-transport protein deficient mice", Free Radical Biology & Medicine 39 (2005) 1310 – 1319.
In our diet - plants and vegetables produce both tocotrienols and tocopherol together.
Vegetables and plants that we eat, do not produce tocotrienols or tocopherols in isolation or individually.
The tocotrienol that we extract from palm – palm oil has the highest level of tocotrienol. The ratio is 78% total tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta-tocotrienol) and 22% tocopherol. This is the exact ratio found in nature in virgin crude palm oil.
3. High Tocopherol Ratio Attenuates Tocotrienols' Ability to Lower Cholesterol
There were two studies published in journals (Qureshi AA, et al.,"Dietary alpha tocopherol attenuates the impact of gamma-tocotrienol on hepatic 3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity in chicken", Journal of Nutrition, 1996;126: 389 - 394 and Khor HT, et al., "Effect of administration of alpha-tocopherol and tocotrienols on serum lipids and liver HMG CoA Reductase activity", Int. J. Food Sci. Nutr, 2000; 51: S3-11), which found that high level of alpha-tocopherol (above 30% ratio) diminishes tocotrienols' ability to inhibit the HMG Co A Reductase enzyme and hence its ability to lower total serum cholesterol especially the LDL-Cholesterol.
This attenuation phenomena is only relevant and applies to tocotrienols' effect in lowering cholesterol and not applicable in the other unique biological effects of tocotrienols such as antioxidant and reversal of arterial blockage in Carotid Stenosis patients / arteriosclerosis, antioxidant, reducing monocytic adhesion molecules, stroke-induced injuries, etc.
In Carotech's Tocomin®/ Tocomin SupraBio® (full spectrum palm tocotrienol extract), the ratio of tocopherol is only 22% - well below the limit of 30% as shown by Dr. Qureshi. Hence, the alpha-tocopherol in Tocomin® or Tocomin SupraBio® does not attenuate the ability of tocotrienols to inhibit HMG-CoA Reductase.
In addition, the presence of phytosterols in Tocomin®/ Tocomin SupraBio® would work synergistically with the tocotrienols in lowering total serum cholesterol. The phytosterols prevent absorption of dietary cholesterol whereas the tocotrienol prevents production of cholesterol in the liver.
4. High Plasma Levels of Mixed Vitamin E (Tocotrienols and Tocopherols) Reduce Alzheimer’s Disease Risk in Elderly
Researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and the University of Perugia in Italy, have come together to examine the association of AD risk reduction with all the 8 forms of vitamin E. The study, published in the July, 2010 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, included 232 participants in the Kungsholmen Project, a longitudinal study on aging and dementia based in Stockholm. The subjects were above 80 years of age and free from dementia at the beginning of the study. Plasma levels of vitamin E (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocotrienols and the corresponding tocopherols) were measured upon enrollment and the subjects were followed for 6 years.
The researchers found that subjects with the highest level of tocotrienols had the lowest AD risk. AD risk was reduced by 54% in subjects who have highest plasma level of total tocotrienols; follow by 45% of total tocopherols and 45% of total vitamin E (all tocotrienols and tocopherols).
“Low plasma levels of vitamin E in late life may be involved in the development of AD. All the eight members of vitamin E family are important in protecting against AD rather than tocopherol alone. A full spectrum vitamin E (d-mixed tocotrienols + d-mixed tocopherols) may plan an important role in AD prevention in advanced age,” concluded the lead researcher, Prof. Francesca Mangialesche.
5. Individual Tocotrienols & Tocopherols - Uniqueness & Strength
Annatto tocotrienol has only delta-tocotrienol. Not the other forms of tocotrienols (alpha-T3, beta-T3 and negligible level of gamma-T3).
I am not saying that delta-tocotrienol is not important. Based on published papers, the fact is that no individual tocotrienol is the most potent. Each tocotrienol has its own unique health benefits and strength within the body. And the best way to supplement is to take all the 4 forms of tocotrienol as occur in nature / diet.
The facts are (based on over 700 peer-reviewed research publications / journals) :-
i) Alpha-Tocotrienol - Based on our on-going NIH-funded study and in collaboration with the Ohio State University Medical Center - Prof Chandan Sen has proven and published 9 peer-reviewed papers which proved that alpha-tocotrienol is the most potent in preventing stroke-induced injuries to the brain. Please refer to the attached press releases.
Alpha-tocotrienol was also shown to be the most potent to increase immune response.
ii) Gamma-Tocotrienol - Based on the new scientific publication in AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiolog on tocotrienol and cardioprotection - it was the gamma-tocotrienol that is the most potent for cardioprotection.
iii) Delta-Tocotrienol - Based on the studies at the University of Texas - delta-tocotrienol is the most potent in inhibiting breast cancer cells. However, published research from the East Tennessee University and MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas - gamma-tocotrienol was the most potent in inhibiting prostate cancer cells.
iv) Cholesterol Reduction - It has also been published that the gamma-tocotrienol and delta-tocotrienol are equally potent in inhibiting HMG-CoA Reductase - the enzyme responsible in cholesterol synthesis in the liver.
v) Human Clinical Trials - As of this moment, all published human clinical trials has been carried out with full spectrum palm tocotrienol complex (Tocomin® / Tocomin SupraBio®) - which consists of all the 4 forms of tocotrienols and not any individual tocotrienol
Hence, based on published science, no individual tocotrienol is most potent. One needs to take all the four forms of tocotrienol - the full spectrum tocotrienol as each isomer of tocotrienol works best in different part of the body / organs and most important is that all of them work synergistically as a team to confer the maximum and optimum health benefits - as found in nature. And only Tocomin® / Tocomin SupraBio® palm tocotrienol complex provides all the 4 forms of tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta-tocotrienol).
So many published papers have shown (and we have been warned time and time again) that there is no single compound that is the most effective when comes to dietary / food supplementation. Look at the alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene debacles. Taking what nature produces is the best way for supplementation.
And only Tocomin® / Tocomin SupraBio® - provide all the 4 forms of tocotrienol (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta-tocotrienol as found in our diet and nature) in significant level and most important as used in those human studies. Mimicking nature/diet is the best way for supplementation.
There is no scientific justification to formulate a product with only tocotrienols (or even with individual tocotrienols such as delta-tocotrienol) when all the human clinical trials had been carried out the full spectrum palm tocotrienol complex (with 22% tocopherol and 78% tocotrienols) as in Tocomin SupraBio®.
I hope that the above is of help for you to know the significant differences between these two tocotrienol sources. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me (info@carotech.net). As always, we are at your disposal.
Scientific team at Carotech
