What You Need to Know
Before You Take Vitamin E...
	
	01/20/2005	

In the last few weeks, several people have approached me asking if it is safe to continue taking vitamin E. I suspect that many of you have been wrestling with the same question. In fact, some of these people had actually stopped taking the vitamin after reading about a negative study published several weeks ago that the news media decided to hype. I want to reassure all of you that vitamin E is extremely safe and that the published meta-analysis that started this controversy is flawed. Well-done studies that are double-blind, placebo-controlled, and published in the most prominent peer review medical journals utilized up to 2,000 IU per day of vitamin E in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, and these proved both beneficial and safe. A few weeks ago, I wrote a newsletter about the study, and I encourage you to read it if you would like more details on my findings.

I would like to dedicate this week's newsletter as a detailed overview of the benefits of vitamin E when the correct forms and dosages are consumed. Aside from vitamin C, vitamin E is probably the most commonly taken vitamin by the general public. And despite the recent negative article, vitamin E continues to be an extremely popular nutrient.

The chemical name for vitamin E is tocopherol. You might be interested to know that "tocopherol" comes from the Greek, and is translated to mean "to bear children." When it was discovered in 1922, it was and is considered an important nutrient for fertility. It is a fat-soluble vitamin generally found in nuts, whole grains, vegetable oils, and some vegetables. The typical SAD (Standard American Diet) provides only about 10 IU per day.

Getting into some of the more detailed aspects of vitamin E, it should be known that tocopherol can either be of a synthetic or natural form. The natural form has the chemical designation of "d" in front of the tocopherol, while the synthetic form has the designation of "dl." As you'll learn later in this article, this distinction becomes particularly important because the natural form of tocopherol is vastly superior for your health. In fact, it is the only form that NSI utilizes in all of our medical doctor-approved NSI supplements that I consume and recommend to my patients. Additionally, within the tocopherol category there are actually four different forms of tocopherol, including alpha, beta, gamma and delta. There are also forms of tocopherol known as tocotrienols, which have minor structural differences that can provide for some amazing benefits. Further, natural d-alpha tocopherols can come in either the acetate or the succinate form.

I've researched a number of recent studies for you in the medical literature exposing the exciting benefits of alpha tocopherol succinate. In an article published in the May 2003 journal Cancer Research, a Dr. Neuzil discussed the benefits of vitamin E succinate in cancer treatment. Recent reports identified within this article indicated that alpha tocopherol succinate appeared to be a potent anti-cancer agent and was highly selective in causing destruction of malignant cells.

Besides this important report, I've uncovered several other articles published as recently as November 2004 that should interest you. Again, they echo the apparent benefit of the succinate form of alpha tocopherol as a potentially potent anti-cancer agent. Other forms of d or dl alpha do not have these benefits.

Another incredibly powerful antioxidant in regard to cancer that you should be aware of appears to be the gamma form of tocopherol. In a study published several years ago in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, it was found that only the gamma form of tocopherol was able to neutralize the effects of a dangerous free radical called peroxynitrite. This free radical has been implicated as a major contributor to both cancer and other degenerative diseases. Peroxynitrites roam our bodies as we get older and damage or even destroy healthy cells. We need to arm our bodies with the right weapons to fight these deadly free radicals. That's why I recommend that you and my patients add the gamma form of vitamin E to your supplement regimen.

Last but not least, there are the tocotrienols. They have been gaining increasing interest in the medical community over the last several years. There is mounting evidence that the tocotrienols are actually more powerful antioxidants when compared to standard tocopherols. Tocotrienols occur largely in palm oil, rice bran oil and barley. Natural tocotrienols are generally limited in supply compared to the synthetic and natural forms of tocopherol. Palm oil tocotrienols appear to have significant medical benefits. In one study, it was found that 200 mg a day of palm oil tocotrienols given for six weeks could lower your total serum cholesterol by 20% and LDL ("bad") cholesterol by 28%. Another amazing 18-month study published in Lipids in 1995 was conducted with 50 patients with carotid artery stenosis, which leads to strokes. Ultrasound analysis revealed apparent carotid atherosclerotic regression in seven of the 25 tocotrienol patients and progression in two. Meanwhile, none of the control group exhibited regression, and ten of the 25 showed progressions. I know of no other nutrient or drug that has produced such amazing results. Aside from having excellent antioxidant properties and cardiovascular benefits, palm oil tocotrienols appear to have powerful anti-cancer effects, as well. In one study with cultured human breast cancer cells, it was found that gamma tocotrienol was actually a more potent agent for inhibiting the growth of these cancer cells than tamoxifen, (a commonly utilized drug for chemotherapy). When regular tocopherols were utilized in this study, I am assuming that they just utilized the alpha form, as most have. This form appeared to have no effect on the cultured human breast cancer cells.

I hope that you now realize that all vitamin E is not equal. Medical studies show that this is certainly not the case. Far and away, the most common form of vitamin E is synthetic (dl) alpha tocopherol acetate. Although this is the most commonly utilized and sold form, it is certainly the opposite of being the best. I strongly recommend against taking this form of vitamin E. First and foremost, it is always preferable that you take the natural form of vitamin E over the synthetic form. Studies in the medical literature indicate that the natural form of vitamin E is up to three times better than the synthetic form. We also know that it is extremely important to take a mixed form of tocopherols, which include not only the alpha form, but also beta, delta and gamma (primarily gamma). When taking natural alpha tocopherol, it is critical that you utilize the succinate, rather than the acetate form. If it does not say "succinate," it most likely is not succinate, and it is a more expensive form. It has also been shown that the succinate form is activated slower within the body, and is able to benefit areas that the acetate form cannot. Plus, the succinate form may stay in the body longer, while not interfering with the absorption of vitamins A or K. Please note that the succinate form is only available in capsules and tablets, whereas the acetate form is available as a softgel.

Please understand that vitamin E, which we've said is a powerful antioxidant in the process of fighting free radicals, can actually become a pro-oxidant as it donates an electron to neutralize a free radical. Only by having other antioxidants -- such as vitamin C, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), alpha lipoic acid, quercetin, selenium (selenomethionine is best), zinc (L-Opti-Zinc is 20X more potent an antioxidant than other forms of zinc), grapeseed extract (ActiVin is superior), standardized green tea extract, natural beta carotene/carotenoids (Betatene is best), lycopene (Lyco-O-Mato is best), and other antioxidants available at the same time -- will the vitamin E and other antioxidants be recycled back to an antioxidant form. Therefore, it is critically important that when you take vitamin E, you should take it as part of an excellent multi-vitamin formulation that contains the above nutrients.

Finally, when you take tocotrienols, they should clearly be taken in the palm oil form. The rice bran oil is good, but the Tocomin standardized palm oil form is best. The Tocomin form has been utilized by most studies that prove the benefits of the tocotrienols. Nutraceutical Sciences Institute (NSI) has just released the Tocomin tocotrienol product, which contains a highly purified and standardized blend of natural mixed tocotrienols providing all four tocotrienols. The Synergy line of products, which are the finest multi-vitamins on the market, utilize the natural mixed tocopherols, with the primary form being the natural d-alpha succinate form at various levels that are 10X - 80X what the typical SAD diet provides. Again, this gives you clear benefits over all the other forms of vitamin E available on the market. And of course, when you compare prices, the NSI products are in a class by themselves.

My final recommendations are:
•	Choose a NSI Synergy multi-vitamin to provide both your core vitamin E and overall nutritional supplement needs 
•	NSI's new Tocomin tocotrienol supplement would be a excellent add-on to a Synergy multi-vitamin, for both enhanced antioxidant protection and to promote healthy cholesterol 
•	NSI's Gamma E Tocopherol Complex supplement is another excellent addition to a Synergy multi-vitamin, as well as to the Tocomin, for further enhanced antioxidant protection and health benefits. 
•	If you are taking DL-alpha vitamin E, return it for a refund or throw it away!