Vitamin E, Polyphenols May Delay Age-Associated Diseases

KANSAS CITY, Mo.Vitamin E tocotrienol supplemented with antioxidant polyphenols and niacin may improve inflammatory markers and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in seniors, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology.

The cross-over, placebo-controlled study was conducted in two groups of elderly subjects, one with normal and the other with elevated lipid levels. The product formulation was composed of delta-tocotrienol from annatto (DeltaGold®, American River Nutrition Inc.), along with niacin and three polyphenols, namely resveratrol, pterostilbene and quercetin. There were no adverse effects associated with the six-week supplementation period.

In both groups, supplementation led to a significant drop in nitric oxide, C-reactive protein, and γ-glutamyl-transferase (a predictor for non-fatal myocardial infarction and fatal coronary heart disease), while increasing total antioxidant status, a measure of the bodys capacity to counteract reactive oxygen species.

Elderly subjects with elevated lipid levels also experienced a drop in low-density lipoprotein  (LDL) cholesterol (20 percent to 28 percent) and triglycerides (11 percent to 18 percent). The daily dosage of delta-tocotrienol, niacin, resveratrol and pterostilbene was 100 mg each, and 200 mg for quercetin.

Long-term, moderate consumption of these specific compounds could play an important role in their cardio-protective actions," University of Missouri researchers said. Asaf Qureshi, leader of the study, was the first to discover tocotrienols cholesterol-lowering properties in the early 80s.

In a previous study, Qureshi and his colleagues found  blood levels of nitric oxide a biological regulator and vasodilator, but pro-inflammatory agent if present in high amountsis increased by 60 percent to 80 percent in seniors compared to young adults and children. The researchers explained since nitric oxide is associated with many age-related diseases, it is important to lower these levels, along with C-reactive protein, lipids and other inflammatory markers, in order to improve the quality of life during the aging process.

Delta-tocotrienol, administered along with niacin and polyphenols, significantly decreased blood-borne inflammatory biomarkers, and also reduced lipid levels in the hypercholesterolemic subjects. In addition, researchers observed a moderate drop in blood pressure among the subjects.

Vitamin E is a family of eight separate but related molecules: four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta). While alpha-tocopherol is found in most multivitamins and is supplemented in foods, a growing base of evidence suggests that this popular vitamin E interferes with the uptake and function of tocotrienols. Tocotrienols are derived from three major sources, including rice, palm and annatto (annatto is the only tocopherol-free source of tocotrienols). The current study used the DeltaGold® branded annatto tocotrienol ingredient supplied by American River Nutrition, which is typically composed of 90 percent delta and 10 percent gamma-tocotrienol. Previous studies reveal vitamin E supplementation may also prevent respiratory tract infections (RIs) in the elderly.

Niacin is a B-vitamin (B3) known to be an effective hypotriglyceridemic agent. Quercetin and resveratrol are antioxidant polyphenols involved in the quenching of inflammatory cytokines, and resveratrol also degrades cholesterol via bile acid. Pterostilbene, derived from blueberries, is a relative of resveratrol and has anti-hyperlipidemic properties. Niacin may also help neurological recover after a stroke.