Tocotrienols Information

Tocotrienols make up one of the two groups of molecules belonging to the vitamin E family; the other group is known as the tocopherols. Tocotrienols and tocopherols are referred to as tocols by some in the medical research field. Just as there are four natural tocopherols, alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocopherol, there are also four natural tocotrienols, alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocotrienol.

Medicinal indications and benefits of tocotrienols are basically the same as those for vitamin E. Like vitamin E, tocotrienols are effective antioxidants against lipid peroxidation (the damaging of fats by oxidation). However, tocotrienols may be more or less potent than vitamin E under certain conditions, but more research is required to better understand the exact difference between tocotrienols and vitamin E.

In addition to the antioxidant properties that they possess, tocotrienols help to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system protecting against hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) by preventing oxidative damage to LDL cholesterol.

Animal and test tube studies indicate that trocotrienols may also be useful in protecting against certain types of cancer such as breast cancer and skin cancer. However, these findings need confirmation in human studies.

Dosage Recommendations

A typical recommendation is 140 to 360 mg per day, although many researches have used 200 mg daily in their studies.