Vitamin E exists in eight different structures; four tocopherols (these are more often used in supplements especially the d-alpha tocopherol structure which is the variety used in most supplements) and four tocotrienols (these are very important versions of vitamin E that are sadly lacking in most supplements). Scientists are discovering a swarm of very healthy benefits arising from the consumption of both tocopherols and perhaps especially tocotrienols.      Queensland University of technology researchers are leading the fight against recurrent prostate cancer which kills thousands of men in Australia each year.

Researchers at the Cytokine Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston state that Vitamin E (the D-Alpha-Tocopherol version) was initially discovered in 1938 as a "fertility factor". Vitamin E now refers to eight different forms that belong to two categories, four saturated analogues called tocopherols and four unsaturated analogues referred to as tocotrienols.