Advantages of Combining Tocotrienol with Pine Bark Extract
Written By Jerry Hickey R.Ph Follow on Google+
Herbert Evans discovered Vitamin E in 1922. He fed rats a rancid lard diet. When he added concentrated lettuce leaf oil he found it improved reproduction. Discovering the “fertility factor” and that it was structurally different from other known fatty-soluble vitamins, he published the chemical structure in 1936 dubbing it "tocopherol" from the Greek words tocos for childbirth and pheros meaning to support.
Science shows the Vitamin E family is made out of eight different isomers that are divided equally into two families - four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. An isomer is a molecule made up of the same chemicals but the structures are spun slightly differently giving each structure different properties; and, in the case of Vitamin E isomers, giving each isomer different protective properties. All eight Vitamin E isomers are metabolized by the human body but one isomer stands out; alpha-tocopherol being the most biologically available. Because of this, the vast majority of Vitamin E research mistakenly focuses solely on alpha-tocopherol. This led to a public and scientific misconception that Vitamin E is simply alpha-tocopherol. In fact, the RDA established by the Institute of Medicine for tocopherol (vitamin E) is based on this single structure.
Clinical Studies on Tocotrienol
A quickly growing body of literature shows that all eight family members are necessary for good health. A breakthrough study published in July, 2010 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease shows that elderly subjects with higher blood levels of all eight Vitamin E isomers achieved superior neurological protection for their memory compared to the elderly with lower levels and the difference in the level of neuroprotection was dramatic and outstanding.
The rapidly accumulating body of evidence shows that the lesser-known tocotrienol members of the Vitamin E family perform unique biological activities not shared by their tocopherol counterparts. As an example, alpha-tocotrienol is a powerful protector of brain tissue even at nanomolar concentrations. Being so potent at such a tiny concentration represents the most potent biological function of all natural forms of Vitamin E. Similarly tocotrienols have been shown to have powerfully protective functions in the liver, the arteries of the neck and heart, and in other organs and tissues. Tocotrienols are usually fatty soluble meaning two things; they help protect the fats in our body and also, they should be taken with a meal because this improves their absorption. Tocomins Tocotrienols are more water soluble, meaning they offer superior absorption compared to other tocotrienols. Considering that our brain is about 65 percent fat we want to consume powerful antioxidants that penetrate deeply into the fatty tissue of our brain. To date, evidence shows that tocotrienols, derived from red palm fruit oil, have potent protective benefits for the brain and for its tiny blood vessels, and for the white matter in the brain. Tocotrienols also are powerful protectors for artery walls and the heart, for the liver, and for men’s and women’s organs.
Combining Tocotrienols with Pine Bark Extract
Pine bark extract is made from the maritime pine tree (Pinus pinaster) native to the western Mediterranean with a range extending over Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Morocco. Pine bark contains naturally occurring proanthocyanidins that differ from their cousins found in grape seed extract. In 1951, French researcher Dr Jacques Masquelier’s search for the original ingredient in a Native American remedy that lead to the discovery of the proanthocyanidins from a pine bark drink.
To date scores of human clinical trials show that Pine Bark Extract protects the retina of the eyes, works as a powerful cellular protector, penetrates deep into the brain and heart tissue and has strong neuroprotective effects in the brain and cardiovascular protecting effects for the heart and arteries. This among many-many other studies showing benefits for the skin, the immune system, for occasional swollen legs and feet, for women during menopause, for athletes and for smokers, for the liver, the intestines, and for the lungs demonstrating the wide swath of protection offered by Pine Bark Extract. Combining Tocotrienols with Pine Bark Extract offers free-radical protection for ongoing neurological wellness and cardiovascular health at any age but also well into old age.
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