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Lee Swanson Research Update
Vitamin E Tocotrienols Show Immune-Boosting Potential
November 2010
Daily supplements rich in vitamin E tocotrienols may boost the immune response and immune function in healthy women following a vaccination.
According to findings published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who received daily supplements of a palm tocotrienol complex for one month prior to a single tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccine experienced improvements in their immune response, compared with women who received placebo prior to the vaccine.
Tocotrienols are a form of vitamin E that have traditionally been in the shadow of the more popular vitamin E form—tocopherols.
Overall, there are eight forms of vitamin E: four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta). Alpha-tocopherol (alpha-Toc) is the main source found in supplements and in the European diet, while gamma-tocopherol (gamma-Toc) is the most common form in the American diet.
Tocotrienols (TCT) are only minor components in plants, although several sources with relatively high levels include palm oil, cereal grains and rice bran.
To test the effects of the tocotrienol-rich palm fraction on immune function, Malaysia-based scientists recruited 108 healthy non-smoking women aged between 18 and 25 years. The women were randomly split into two groups: One group received 400 mg of the palm tocotrienol complex per day, and the other group received placebo (400 mg per day of soy oil), each for two months.
Blood samples were analyzed at the start of the study, and again after 28 and 56 days. After 28 days of supplementation all of the participants received a single shot of tetanus toxoid vaccine.
Results showed significant increases in levels of the anti-TT antibody, interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-4 in the tocotrienol group, compared with placebo.
“This study provides evidence that daily supplementation of 400 mg tocotrienol-rich fraction can have a beneficial role in enhancing the immune response of healthy subjects following an immunogenic challenge such as vaccination,” stated the researchers.
Furthermore, blood levels of tocotrienols increased, compared with placebo, with the greatest increases in alpha-T3, followed by gamma-T3 and delta-T3.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition Published online ahead of print
