Amazing Major Health Discoveries from Vitamin E – Delta Tocotrienol
Amazing Major Health Discoveries from Vitamin E – Delta Tocotrienol
After 40 years of research on vitamin E, vitamin E is starting to make headlines for its true health benefits. The following blog is based on the book,’ The Truth about Vitamin E’, by Barrie Tan, PhD, after hearing his lecture at AMMG, Age Management Medicine Group, November 2, 2024, entitled ‘Annatto’s Age Management Benefits, Ancient Phytonutrients for Modern Day Application’.
History of Vitamin E
Vitamin E was identified in 1922 as being essential in maintaining fetal live births in rats. Hence, Vitamin E’s scientific name “tocopherol” is from Greek words meaning ‘birth’ and ‘to bear or carry’.
Interestingly, rats were fed a’ purified diet’, meaning their food was manufactured using highly refined ingredients in which each nutrient is provided from a specific ingredient. Was this the origins of genetically modified food? They observed the rats became infertile on the purified food diet, concluding “natural foods contained a substance necessary for live births”.
Hence, Vitamin E, was discovered to be an essential fat soluble nutrient, because humans cannot make vitamin E but have to get it through food or supplements.
In 1930, the chemical structure of vitamin E was identified. By 1937, vitamin E’s antioxidant properties were discovered, as well as helping:
- The immune system fight viruses and bacteria,
- Formation of red blood cells for oxygenation,
- “Widen blood vessels to keep blood clots from clotting inside them”.
- The body use vitamin K, and
- Cellular communication or crosstalk between cells.
Vitamin E is Made of 8 Chemical Substances- 4 Tocopherols and 4 Tocotrienols
It took 42 years to herald the discovery tocotrienols are a part of the Vitamin E family. Their structure is similar to tocopherols but not the same.
A review article from 2006 stated, “Vitamin E represents a generic term for all tocopherols and their derivatives having the biological activity of RRR-α-tocopherol, the naturally occurring stereoisomer compounds with vitamin E activity”.
Figure 1
In other words, “In nature, eight substances have been found to have vitamin E activity:
- alpha, beta, gamma, and delta (α-, β-, γ- and δ) tocopherol; and
- alpha, beta, gamma, and delta (α-, β-, γ- and δ) tocotrienol (Figure 1).
Yet, of the 24,000+ papers on vitamin E listed in PubMed (in 2006), only just over 200 relate to tocotrienols. The current handicap in knowledge of how tocotrienols may be implicated in human health and disease and the significance of filling that void in vitamin E research is discussed in this minireview.”
During the next 18 years, research on gamma and delta tocotrienols took off, but only recently have the incredible healing properties of vitamin E-delta tocotrienol (DT3) been brought to light.
Barrie Tan, PhD, the Annatto Plant and delta Tocotrienols
DT3 only comes from 3 sources known to date: palm, rice, and the Annatto plant. Dr Tan first developed and brought to market tocotrienols from the Annatto plant. There are only 3 sources on earth for DT3s: palm (1992), rice (1998), and annatto (2002). He is the foremost prominent researcher bringing healing properties of delta tocotrienol (T3) to light as a lifesaving nutrient for many. I am honored to have met Dr Tan and discussed his incredible research. Hopefully, patients at RMC will get the opportunity to help him discover additional benefits from DT3.
Dr Tan has been studying vitamin E and its derivatives for last 39 years, researching the 8 different components found in vitamin E. He recently presented his latest research on the exciting healing properties of delta tocotrienol (DT3), which he discovered in highest concentration in the Annatto plant, at the AMMG (Age Management Medicine Group), November 2, 2024.
History of delta Tocotrienol
Tocotrienol, a component of Vitamin E was isolated in 1964. To date, it has only been found in 3 sources, palm, rice, and the annatto plant. It was in South America, 2003, Dr Tan discovered the Annatto Plant by chance while looking for Marigold plants. No other sources came close to the 90% concentration of T3 found in the Annatto plant. This is when his research began to take off.
Since DT3’s discovery from the Annatto plant, research and development has continued to rise in areas of Cardiovascular, Diabetic, and Cancer prevention and treatment.
It was then determined tocotrienols possessed powerful neuroprotective, antioxidant, anticancer and cholesterol lowering properties differing from those of tocopherols. It was also found alpha-tocopherol actually interfered with tocotrienol’s healing ability when it was ingested at moderate to higher amounts.
It was shown the first form of vitamin E discovered, alpha tocopherol, was found to inhibit healing actions of DT3 when taken at higher amounts. Dr. Tan explained in his lecture, we get plenty of alpha tocopherol in our food and adding it to supplements could be harmful to our health when ingested in higher amounts. Check your multivitamin! Change to another if it has alpha tocopherol in it.
Why Should You not take Alpha-Tocopherol Vitamin E? (from Dr. Tan’s Lecture Slides)
1) You get all the alpha-tocopherols you need via food.
2) Alpha-Tocopherol Interferes with Tocotrienol Function in the following ways:
- Inhibits absorption of tocotrienols
- Reduces adipose (fat) storage
- Compromises cholesterol and triglyceride reduction
- Attenuates cancer inhibition
- Exacerbates stroke injury
3) Alpha-Tocopherol Problems in Physiological Functions
- Oxidizes ‘good’ HDL and ‘bad’ LDL
- Increases inflammation as per TNFα (13–40%↑)
- Increase inflammation of IL6 inflammatory marker up to 22%
- Raises mortality and cancer (breast, prostate, lung) risks
- Blocks/Lowers chemotherapy’s effectiveness
- Increases cardiac risk in PMW (300mg/d for ~3yr)
Benefits of Delta Tocotrienol (DT3)
1) Supports Cardiovascular health and Decreases Cardiovascular Disease
DT3 decreases the following cardiovascular risk markers by:
- Decreasing CRP 40%
- Decreasing the marker for lipid oxidation damage causing atherosclerosis by 24%
- Decreasing Triglycerides by 14%
- Decreasing LDL by 18%
- Decreasing Total cholesterol 15%
- Increasing nitric oxide protection 30%
- Improving liver and cardiovascular functions
2) Decreases Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
Approximately 33% of all Americans have Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease! NAFLD is the leading cause of chronic liver disease globally at 32%. See incidence by country.
DT3 decreases Fat Liver Disease by decreasing:
- Inflammation 37% in a year
- Fibrosis 20%
- Cirrhosis 20%
- Elevated liver enzymes
- Fat in the stool 17 %
3) Improves Weight Loss and Helps Manage Blood Sugar Levels, Controls metabolic syndrome
- Sustained Weight Loss
- Improves glycemic control in Prediabetics, decreases glucose in 7%
- Helps to reverse pre-Type 2 Diabetes
- Increases adiponectin
- Decreases leptin
- Decreased HBA1C 8%
- Decreased Insulin levels 24%
4) Helps Bone Mineralization in Fractures, Osteopenia
- Prevented fracture recurrence, increased callus stiffness
- Improved trabecular bone microstructure and bone strength
- Increased osteoblast surface
- Bone building increased 115%
- Oxidative stress decreased 49%
5) Increases Life Expectancy in Cancer Patients
- Almost doubles overall life expectancy when taken with standard therapy
- Hinders the rapidly multiplying cancer cells
- (The latest research on cancer and DT3 is targeted to be posted summer 2025)
6) Reverses Skin Damage Used Orally or Topically
- Decreases hyperpigmentation
- Repairs skin damage
- Heals wounds
- Protects the skin from sunburn with SPF protection of 5.5
- Suppresses skin cancer
- Delayed melanoma tumor progression in mice
7) Provides Radiation Protection
Helps protect cells from radiation effects
8) Boosts Brain Health
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- Lower risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s
9) Promotes Cellular Membrane Health
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- Protects the cell wall membrane against antioxidant effects
10) Helps Protect getting Cataracts and helps vision with Cataracts
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- May also slow down diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration
11) Supports the Immune System
Recommended Dosage taken with food for better absorption.
- Healthy person: 100-300mg/day
- Mild Chronic Disease Condition: 300-400mg/day
- Advanced Chronic Condition: 400-600mg/day
Delta tocotrienol is certainly one of the most intriguing supplements on the market with many useful applications in only one substance. It is totally natural being easily extracted from the Annatto plant, you get whole pure delta tocotrienols in their original native form. Thank you, Dr. Tan, for many years of hard work bringing this plant to us and proving by your research it’s wonderous healing capabilities.
Have an awesome day! Dr. D