Dear Friends,
Brain health and cognitive function are generating a lot of interest among clients (that’s good!), so I’m going to keep sharing the latest news that hits my desk.
You may recall from previous letters that I’m a big fan of tocotrienols for brain health support.
Today, I want to share a couple of recent findings that help shine more light on vitamin E tocotrienols as a promising nutrient for brain support.
In case you aren’t aware, Vitamin E actually refers to eight different compounds — four are called tocopherols and four are called tocotrienols.
Most vitamin E products you’ll see on store shelves only contain alpha-tocopherol, which is the most well-known form.
Without question, alpha-tocopherol is an important and powerful antioxidant that our bodies need, including to help maintain cognitive function.
However, researchers are finding four other members of the vitamin E family may be more powerful — especially when it comes to supporting long-term cognitive health.
These are the four tocotrienols - alpha, beta, delta and gamma.
What’s the Difference?
The structural difference between tocopherols and tocotrienols is small - an ever-so-slight difference in the “tail” of their chemical structure that affects their shape.
The result is tocotrienols are nimbler because their unsaturated tail allows them to penetrate cell membranes more efficiently. This is believed to be especially true in delicate tissues like the brain and liver.
It’s also believed that this is why tocotrienols may be more potent and powerful at reducing oxidative stress and offer you greater health benefits.
One of the first to identify this was the late Dr. Lester Packer, a renowned antioxidant researcher, whose work found that tocotrienols' antioxidant activity was as much as 40 to 60 times greater than the more common form of vitamin E.
When it comes to brain health, these lesser-known compounds may offer unique benefits for protecting brain cells, supporting memory and focus, and promoting healthy aging of the nervous system.
Support for Memory and Learning
Previously, researchers from Stockholm, Sweden led a series of studies with senior citizens from six European countries that showed higher blood levels of BOTH tocotrienols and tocopherols were associated with better cognitive function.
This wasn’t the case with just tocopherols alone.
The new studies recently published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences reviewed human and animal studies involving tocotrienols and neurological function.
The researchers wrote that tocotrienols can help protect your brain’s communication cells, called neurons, from oxidative stress and excess inflammation — two factors that can damage and hurt brain function over time.
Even more exciting, they found evidence that tocotrienols may stimulate the growth of new brain cells, particularly in the hippocampus — a part of the brain that’s crucial for memory and learning.
This can help us stay sharp and mentally strong as we get older.
White Matter Protection
In addition, tocotrienols appear to play a role in helping to protect and preserve white matter in the brain, which is tissue that facilitates communication between brain cells.
To me, this is one of the most powerful effects of tocotrienols because maintaining healthy white matter is essential for healthy brain function and cognitive abilities.
Another study looked at how tocotrienols may protect the vascular network in white matter. This network becomes more fragile as we age, and “leaking pipes” can hurt cognitive function over time.
In this study, those supplementing with tocotrienols experienced better protection after 2 years.
All in, these findings strengthen the case for tocotrienols as a promising tool for long-term brain support. That’s not to say the “regular” vitamin E, alpha tocopherol, isn’t important also – you want both in your supplement.
Choosing the Right Supplement
As mentioned, most vitamin E supplements only provide alpha tocopherol —they don’t include any tocotrienols at all.
At NatureCity, we offer the broader spectrum of vitamin E nutrients in our TrueE formula, which includes all four tocotrienols along with alpha-tocopherol. This is why we call it the “Super Vitamin E.”
All the vitamin E forms in TrueE are naturally obtained from sustainable red palm oil.
Few plants in nature offer the rich amounts of both alpha-tocopherol and all four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, delta and gamma) found in red palm oil.
TrueE is made with EVnol SupraBio, a sustainably sourced red palm oil extract that provides all these nutrients.
Better yet, it includes a patented delivery system that increases tocotrienol absorption by up to 250%.
Plus, EVnol SupraBio is the sole source of tocotrienols shown to reach key human organs after ingestion – including the brain, liver, heart, skin, and fatty tissues.
Last, EVnol SupraBio is among the most researched tocotrienol ingredients for supplements, with 30 years of published research support for numerous benefits including for brain health, heart health, liver health, hair and skin appearance and healthy aging.
TrueE is a smart way to support brain health — and get the best of what vitamin E has to offer.
If you’re already taking TrueE — that’s great! You’ve already made the upgrade.
If you’re new to tocotrienols, this could be one of the most valuable changes you make to your daily routine — especially if you want to stay sharp, focused, and vibrant as you age.
Yours for Good Health,
Carl Pradelli
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