molecules, and was powerfully neuroprotective. “Tocotrienols are a natural neuroprotective agent,” says Sen. “The neuropro- tective property of tocotrienols hold good not only in response to glutamate challenge but also in response to other insults such as homocysteic acid, glutathione deficiency and linoleic acid-in- duced oxidative stress.”1,2
Human Trials Are Next
Sen and colleagues are now set- ting the stage for human trials, called the Phase II Natural Tocotrienol Against Ischemic Stroke Event study. They have already con- cluded human trials proving that oral tocotrienols are both safe and well distributed in organs and the brain. They are current- ly researching optimal dosing regimens, before they design a study on tocotrienols in humans. Given the stream of positive data in every single study to date, it is likely we have in tocotrienols a potent and bioavailable, safe oral supplement to help prevent stroke and repair stroke damage.
If tocotrienols protect against stroke, they may well protect against other kinds of neurodegeneration, perhaps even the normal defects of aging. In a 2008 study, tocotrienols proved protective for a genetic neurodegenerative disorder
4 Focus April 2013
called familial dysautonomia (FD), primarily affecting individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. The mutations responsible for FD were found to occur in a gene encoding a protein (inhibitor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells, kinase complex- associated protein) termed IKAP. Over time neurons become progressively demyelinated. Autonomic “crises” include episodic vomiting, seizures,
FD and have had a dramatic improvement in their quality of life,” states Rubin.13,14,15,16
Tocotrienols Can Cure Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
When orally supplemented, to- cotrienols reach their maximum concentration in the liver com- pared to other organs.17
In fact,
Thirty patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were supplemented with mixed tocotrienols for a year, and 15 were completely cured. Another five showed significant improvement in the condition.
hypertensive crises, and many other symptoms.
At
the Laboratory for Familial Dysautonomia Research at Fordham University in New York, director Berish Y. Rubin and his colleagues screened hundreds of compounds and found that two—tocotrienols and epigallocatechin gallate (a component of green tea) were able to increase the amount of functional IKAP protein. After 3-4 months of tocotrienol supplementation, 80% of patients reported a significant decrease in the number of crises. “Individuals taking these compounds have seen a dramatic reduction in the symptoms associated with
groundbreaking new research shows that tocotrienols can ac- tually reverse non-alcoholic fat- ty liver disease, as well as im- prove deadly, end-stage liver disease.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is con- sidered part of a spec- trum of diseases called metabolic syndrome:
they include obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and fatty liver. The incidence of NAFLD is surprisingly high—it afflicts 15-30% of Americans (studies in Europe, Japan and Malaysia re- port similar rates). Yet because it’s asymptomatic, and there is no blood biomarker for the con- dition, it’s often overlooked. The gold standard for NAFLD diag- nosis currently remains ultra- sound radiography.18,19,20,21,22
Yet NAFLD is not benign. Twen- ty percent or so progress to the more severe nonalcoholic ste- atohepatitis (NASH), and from there, some patients will go on to cirrhosis, liver cancer, or liv- er failure. NAFLD patients also
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