Tocotrienols (1993, 2012) & High Cholesterol

Learn more about high cholesterol.

2012

The researchers point out that most studies testing vitamin E as a cholesterol lowering supplement find it unsuccessful. However, tocotrienols, which are compounds of the same molecular formula, but different structure (isomers) as vitamin E have been found to lower LDL levels.

In this animal study rabbits on a cholesterol diet for 60 days supplements with several forms (alpha, beta, delta and gamma) of tocotrienols and a control. They found that the functions of the left ventricle (aortic flow and developed pressure) improved marked recovery with the alpha and gamma forms, but not the delta form.

Their conclusion was that the two tocotrienols isomers, alpha and gamma are helpful.

Researchers: Das S, Mukherjee S, Lekli I, Gurusamy N, Bardhan J, Raychoudhury U, Chakravarty R, Banerji S, Knowlton AA, Das DK, Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT

Published: Mol Cell Biochem. 2012 Jan;360(1-2):35-45. Epub 2011 Sep 15

Researchers evaluated the role of tocotrienols in controlling cholesterol levels in a lab environment.

They incubated several types of cells with gamma-tocotrienol and found that it inhibited the development of several kinds (mevalonate) of cholesterol. They observed 50% to 80% inhibition over different lengths of time periods.

Their conclusion was that tocotrienols have an effect on the mevalonate pathway in cells of mammals, which is the mechanism creating LDL type of cholesterol.

Researchers: Parker RA, Pearce BC, Clark RW, Gordon DA, Wright JJ, Department of Metabolic Diseases, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Princeton, New Jersey

Published: Tocotrienols regulate cholesterol production in mammalian cells by post-transcriptional suppression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase., J Biol Chem. 1993 May 25;268(15):11230-8