(26-06-10) Palm fruit oil is the richest source of tocotrienols, the other half of the vitamin E equation

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

Many people are already aware of the fact that vitamin E helps to rid the
body of free radicals and protect it from cancer, cardiovascular disease, heart
disease and other serious illness. However there are two forms of vitamin E
that each serve a unique purpose: tocopherols and tocotrienols. While
tocopherols are the most common form of vitamin E available on the market,
tocotrienols are just now beginning to emerge in the Western world as a
superior addition to the vitamin E family, particularly in the form of palm
fruit oil where they are most richly found.

Most available vitamin E supplements contain only mixed tocopherols, or alpha,
beta, delta and gamma tocopherols. These four tocopherols represent only half
of the vitamin E family, and research is now revealing that alpha, beta, delta
and gamma tocotrienols are also necessary to provide the full range of
antioxidant power contained in vitamin E. Together, these eight compounds offer
complete antioxidant protection.

Tocotrienols are roughly 50 times more potent than tocopherols when it comes
to antioxidant power. Recent studies have shown that tocotrienols distribute
themselves more evenly than tocopherols do in the fatty layers of cell
membranes. They are effective at preventing and treating serious degenerative
diseases like cancer, stroke-induced injuries, diabetes, osteoporosis and
cardiovascular disease. In one study, tocotrienols increased the lifespan of
laboratory rats by 20 percent.

So why are tocopherols, rather than tocotrienols, the most prevalent form of
vitamin E on the market? Many foods and oils are rich in tocopherols, but few
contain significant levels of tocotrienols. In fact, most of the popular oils
used in food preparation ? olive, soybean, safflower, sunflower, corn, cotton
and peanut ? contain only tocopherols. The only oil that contains significant
levels of all four types of tocotrienols is palm fruit oil.

Although tocopherols are generally sufficient for meeting minimum vitamin E
levels and maintaining an average level of good health, there is far more to be
gained from getting the full range of both tocopherols and tocotrienols. Rice
bran oil, wheat germ, barley, oats, coconut oil and palm kernel oil all contain
one or more types of tocotrienols as well, however none besides palm fruit oil
contain all four types.

Palm fruit oil is composed of 30 percent tocopherols and 70 percent
tocotrienols. The oil is extracted from the fleshy mesocarp of the palm fruit,
and is useful in a myriad of food preparations. It is said to be the most
widely used oil in the world, perhaps because it is more heat stable than other
vegetable oils and provides superior taste and texture qualities.

Aside from preventing and treating the serious illnesses mentioned above, palm
oil improves blood circulation and prevents clotting, boosts immunity, improves
general nutrient absorption, supports healthy lung and liver function,
strengthens bones and teeth, reinforces eye health and supports brain function.
Studies have shown that virgin red palm oil is the variety that offers the most
medicinal benefit, but all varieties seem to be beneficial.

To learn more about tocotrienols, please visit www.tocotrienol.org.

Fonte: NaturalNews

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