Tocomin Tocotrienols (a family of vitamin E) – may reduce cholesterol levels by about 15 percent

Taking larger servings of the Vitamin E family known as Tocotrienols, using Tocomin Tocotrienols from palm oil for six months may reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 17 percent and total cholesterol by 11 percent.

“Lowering of the total and LDL cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic subjects could be achieved through supplementation with mixed tocotrienols, and was accompanied by a significantly higher serum Tocotrienol concentration relative to the tocopherol level,” wrote the researchers, led by Professor KH Yuen from the University of Science Malaysia. “The cholesterol lowering activity can be attained after 4 months of supplementation,” they added.

One of the earliest reports to link tocotrienols to heart health – via cholesterol reduction – was a paper by Dr Asaf Qureshi of the USDA. Writing in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in 1986, Dr Qureshi and his co-workers reported that cereal’s ability to reduce cholesterol concentrations was directly linked to its Tocotrienol concentrations, with barley and oats coming out on top, followed by rye, wheat and then corn.

Another study of note followed in 1992 from researchers at Bristol-Meyers Squibb which reported that gamma-Tocotrienol was 30 times more active than alpha-Tocotrienol at inhibiting cholesterol synthesis.

Human studies followed, with Dr Qureshi again leading the charge. In 1991, a pilot study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that supplementation with palm-derived Tocotrienols was associated with a reduction in cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic subjects, with gamma-Tocotrienol again identified as “the most potent cholesterol inhibitor in the [Tocotrienol-enriched fraction of palm oil used in the study]”.
The new results “are consistent with those reported by Dr.  Qureshi et al. and Tan et al.”, wrote the researchers.

The researchers recruited 32 healthy individuals with high blood cholesterol levels. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or the Tocomin SupraBio Tocotrienols providing a daily dose of 300 mg of mixed tocotrienols. After four months of supplementation, the researchers noted a decrease in total cholesterol of 9 percent, with the decrease recorded as 11 percent after six months. In addition, LDL cholesterol levels were decreased by 13 and 17.5 percent after four and six months of supplementation, respectively. No changes were observed in the placebo group. The study is published in Functional Foods in Health and Disease, Volume 3, Pages 106-117.