Tocotrienols protect brain tissue
Brain: tocotrienols safeguard brain tissue
Tocotrienols, antioxidant compounds belonging to the vitamin E family, have protective effects on the brain. In patients with brain white matter lesions, these molecules slow the progression of damage, keeping its extent constant and reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases and stroke.
This was reported in a study published in the American Heart Association journal, Stroke, and conducted by researchers at the University of Penang in Malaysia. The research was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of long-term intake of palm oil tocotrienol supplements.
Natural substances with neuroprotective effect
The generic term vitamin E is used to refer to two classes of substances: 4-tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta) and 4-tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta). Tocotrienols are found in varying content in various plant-based foods, such as almonds, peanuts, soybeans, corn, and in oils that are obtained from palm, coconut, wheat germ, and brown rice. Vitamin E is best known for its antioxidant action that protects unsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes and other lipid structures from oxidation. In vitro and animal studies have shown that tocotrienols have neuroprotective effects, but they have not been demonstrated in humans to date. The Malaysian study investigated the protective activity of mixed tocotrienols in subjects with white matter lesions (WMLs). WMLs are linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases and increased risk of stroke.
Supplements with palm tocotrienols protect white matter
The two-year study was conducted on a total of 121 volunteers over the age of 35 who had cardiovascular risk factors and brain white matter lesions. The subjects were randomly separated into two groups; one placebo and the other who received 200 mg per day of palm-derived tocotrienols. At the beginning of the study, after one year, and at the end of the treatment, brain lesion volumes were measured by MRI and compared using specific software The results obtained from the 88 volunteers who finished the research showed that the average extent of WMLs in the placebo group had increased after 2 years, while that of the group that had taken tocotrienols had remained essentially unchanged.
An important trial for tocotrienols research
Evidence from the study, which was the first clinical trial to evaluate the protective effects of this form of vitamin E on the brain's white matter, demonstrated the ability of tocotrienols to attenuate the progression of brain injury. Since tocotrienols are natural substances and well tolerated by the body, they could be used as supplements, even for long periods, to slow down tissue damage of the brain, especially white matter, in cases of ischemia In addition, WMLs could be a valuable model for testing the effects of substances with neuroprotective properties.
Source: Yogheswaran Gopalan, Ibrahim Lutfi Shuaib, Enrico Magosso, Mukhtar Alam Ansari, Mohd Rizal Abu Bakar, Jia Woei Wong, Nurzalina Abdul Karim Khan, Wei Chuen Liong, Kalyana Sundram, Bee Hong Ng, Chinna Karuthan, and Kah Hay Yuen. Clinical Investigation of the Protective Effects of Palm Vitamin E Tocotrienols on Brain White Matter. STROKEAHA.113.004449Published online before print April 3, 2014,doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.113.004449
