have a greater risk of atheroscle- rosis. According to pharmaceuti- cal technologist Enrico Magosso, PhD, “The dangers of NAFLD are grossly underestimated due to two reasons: the lack of un- derstanding of the pathogenesis; and the lack of an effective phar- macological treatment.”23
In 2010, at the Liver Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AS- SLD), Boston, Magosso and his colleagues re- ported a ground-break- ing study that tocot- rienols could improve, and even cure, NA- FLD. Thirty patients were
supplemented
plemented individuals on organ transplant lists (so that when their organs were removed, test- ing could be done) as well as se- vere epileptics who needed brain surgery, and in whom at least a gram of brain tissue would be removed. Supplementation time averaged a month.
Patients awaiting liver transplant are always given a MELD (model for end stage liver disease) score.
C and the sole participant with hepatitis B had a reduced MELD score following treatment.”24
Why are tocotrienols so effec- tive in liver disease? Magosso speculates they impact multi- ple pathways. Animal studies show tocotrienols help prevent lipid peroxidation, and inhib- it inflammatory mediators such as NFKappaB and TNFα, all of which are thought to be involved in NAFLD.17
They also
with full-spectrum palm tocotrienols for a year, and fifteen were complete- ly cured. Another five showed significant improvement in the condition (at least one degree of amelioration of their fatty liver score, as evidence by ultrasound diagnosis).17,23
Tocotrienols Improve End Stage Liver Disease Scores
Tocotrienols may also improve a far more serious liver condition: end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Tocotrienols’ ability to impact deadly liver disease was a ser- endipitous surprise to Chandan Sen and his colleagues when they began a trial to prove that tocot- rienols were efficiently absorbed into skin, fat, human organs and the brain. The researchers sup-
50% of end-stage liver disease participants awaiting transplant and receiving oral mixed tocotrienol supplementation had a reduction in their end stage liver disease (MELD) score…4 of 6 participants with hepatitis C and the sole participant with hepatitis B had a reduced score following treatment.
The MELD scale ranges from 6 to 40, with the highest scores indi- cating poorest liver function and greatest need for a transplant. MELD score is a reliable mark- er for mortality, and does not improve over time. During the study, clinicians reported back that the MELD scores of tocotrie- nol supplemented patients were improving! Sen and colleagues amended the trial design to test the impact of tocotrienols on MELD scores. They report, “The effect… was most evident in pa- tients with viral hepatic cirrhosis. In the current study, 50% of ESLD participants receiving oral tocot- rienol supplementation had a re- duction in their MELD score…4 of 6 participants with hepatitis
work on peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors, otherwise known as PPARs. Sev- eral well known anti- diabetic drugs are de- signed to reduce insulin resistance by working on PPARs.17,25,26
Tocotrienols Improve the Function of Arteries
Arterial compliance may sound like an odd phrase—are blood vessels rebellious or obedient? In fact, arterial compliance (or elasticity) is a key measurement of cardiovascular health. It refers to the action by which an artery yields to pressure or force with- out disruption. When arteries are stiff, their compliance decreases. Reduced arterial compliance is common in hypertension, and it can even appear in individuals with normal blood pressure, as an indicator of their potential for hypertension. Arterial stiffness is an important indicator of cardio- vascular disease.
Focus April 2013 5
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