Tocotrienols: The overlooked vitamin E that could boost your health

5 June 2023

Cancer is a dreaded disease that has claimed many lives. So, what is cancer? Cancer happens when one or more cells in our body go "rogue" and acquire the ability to replicate continuously (become "immortal") and try to take over our body, which eventually results in death. It is important to understand that our body has processes to identify and remove these "rogue" cells before they develop into full-fledged cancer.

The immune system is the main body system that helps us recognise and destroy abnormal/rogue cells. Immune surveillance is a crucial role of the immune system, which enables it to detect and destroy pathogens, abnormal or cancer cells, and foreign cells/tissues. It should be noted that the immune system usually does not attack or destroy the host's cells.

In individuals who develop cancer, the immune system may not recognise and eliminate the cancer cells because they originate from the host's cells. The immune system may be inhibited in mounting a response, or the cancer cells may secrete substances that suppress the host immune system. Hence, it is important to study the reasons for the" immune unresponsiveness' in cancer patients.

Nutrition is one of the many factors that support a healthy immune system. In most cases, the nutritional constituent lacking in a diet would be some micronutrients, which can be overlooked. Tocotrienols, a form of naturally occurring vitamin E, have been shown to have many health benefits, such as reducing inflammation and protecting against diabetes, heart disease, neurodegeneration, skin ageing, bone loss, and obesity. They regulate gene expression and enzyme activity, reduce cholesterol levels, neutralise harmful molecules, induce programmed cell death in cancer cells, suppress blood vessel formation, enhance the immune system, and improve insulin sensitivity.

Research by Professor Ammu Kutty Radhakrishnan from the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, and her team have shown that vitamin E from palm oil, known as tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), could be a natural alternative to boost anticancer immune responses. The TRF contains multiple types of vitamin E, namely alpha-tocotrienol, gamma-tocotrienol, delta-tocotrienol, beta-tocotrienol, and alpha-tocopherol. Various research studies have indicated that TRF exhibits potent anticancer and immune-boosting properties, particularly in the case of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women worldwide. It is also one of the leading causes of death from cancer among women. Early detection and treatment can improve survival rates, but there is also a need for more effective and natural ways to prevent and treat this disease.

According to Dr Ammu, tocotrienols have shown promising results as the current evidence from cell-based and animal model studies shows that tocotrienols have the potential to suppress tumour growth, which will improve the quality of life for cancer patients. Hence, it warrants further investigation as a natural treatment option for breast cancer patients. Future studies should explore the optimal dosages and regimens of palm tocotrienol supplementation in treating breast cancer.

"Although most studies have been conducted on cell lines and animal models, more human clinical trials are needed to establish the safety and efficacy of tocotrienol supplementation. More attention should be paid to the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of tocotrienols," stated Dr Ammu.

Bioavailability refers to how much of a substance is absorbed into the bloodstream after ingestion. Pharmacokinetics is how the body distributes, metabolises, and eliminates a substance. These factors can affect how much of a substance reaches its target tissues and how long it stays there.

Dr Ammu also states more studies should be conducted to compare the effects of different formulations and doses of tocotrienols. For example, natural sources of tocotrienols, such as palm oil or annatto seeds, may contain other beneficial compounds that could enhance or synergise with tocotrienols. "Different doses or combinations of tocotrienols may have different effects on different organs or diseases," she said.

The findings from the research conducted by Dr Ammu and her fellow researchers open up new possibilities for natural alternatives to conventional cancer treatments and offer hope to those affected by breast cancer.