Nutraceuticals and nootropics for anti-aging

Vitamin E factor shows dramatic cholesterol-lowering ability.

The term ‘Vitamin E’ refers not to just one chemical compound, but to any mixture of eight different closely related compounds. Individually these are designated ‘alpha-’, ‘beta-’, ‘gamma-’, and ‘delta-tocopherol’, and the corresponding ‘tocotrienols’.

Many vitamin E supplements contain only tocopherols, which work just fine as antioxidants. The tocotrienols have begun to be added to vitamin E formulas only recently, as researchers have turned up hints that they may have extra benefits. Studies done during the past several years, however, are now showing that these benefits are dramatic ones.

Researchers at the University of Rochester (New York state) reported in April that in rats that were fed high-fat diets and then given tocotrienol supplements, LDL (‘bad cholesterol’) levels quickly fell by 62%. Five human volunteers with normal cholesterol levels, who were given low-dose capsules of tocotrienols for four weeks, experienced a 10% drop in total cholesterol with a 26% decline in LDL levels.

In other recent work on tocotrienols, separate groups of researchers at the State University of New York, the University of Louisiana, and Malaysian Palm Oil Board have reported that tocotrienols — especially gamma-tocotrienol — have significant inhibitory effects on cancers of the breast and liver.

Link to news article about tocotrienols and cholesterol:

Rice vitamin reduces cholesterol levels

Links to abstract of research reports about vitamin E and cholesterol:

Hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties of tocotrienol rich fraction isolated from rice bran oil in experimentally induced hyperlipidemic rats.

Links to abstracts of research reports about vitamin E and cancer:

Gamma-tocotrienol inhibits neoplastic mammary epithelial cell proliferation by decreasing Akt and nuclear factor kappaB activity.

Suppression of diethylnitrosamine and 2-acetylaminofluorene-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats by tocotrienol-rich fraction isolated from rice bran oil.

Tocotrienol-rich fraction from palm oil and gene expression in human breast cancer cells.

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LifeLink carries Vitamin E tocotrienols in 34 mg softgels.