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Scientists have unanimously agree that
free radicals damage cells and contribute to common diseases associated
with aging. As people age, they produce more free radicals that inflict
damage to cellular DNA, mitochondria and cell membranes. This results in
illnesses.
Health-conscious people today consume
antioxidant supplements such like Vitamin E to help neutralize free
radicals. When vitamin E was discovered in 1922, scientists mistakenly
concluded that of the four tocopherol family members (alpha-, beta-,
delta- and gamma tocopherol), only alpha tocopherol provided some
measurable benefits. So for the next 70 - 80 years, vitamin E
supplements contained only alpha tocopherol. It is therefore not
surprising that early clinical trials to examine vitamin E's ability to
prevent disease were carried out using only alpha tocopherol.
But when scientists started examining
other members of the vitamin E family, one in particular - gamma
tocopherol - was found to possess several unique properties. Although
gamma tocopherol is not as powerful an antioxidant as alpha tocopherol,
it is the only member of the tocopherol family capable of neutralizing
reactive nitrogen free radicals like peroxynitrite and nitrogen dioxide.
Generated by inflammation, these dangerous nitrogen free radicals are
implicated in a host of degenerative illnesses, including
atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's
disease. Research discovered that gamma tocopherol reduces inflammation
by inhibiting prostaglandin E2².
In addition to inhibiting chronic
inflammation, gamma tocopherol exerts additional non-antioxidant effects
to prevent cancer. Gamma tocopherol is believed to prevent colon cancer
by inhibiting the formation of mutagens produced by oxidized fecal fats,
while decreasing oxidative damage to the epithelial cells of the colon.
Cigarette smoke contains very high amounts of damaging nitrogen free
radicals which are carcinogenic. Gamma tocopherol (and not alpha
tocopherol) is able to effectively neutralize the reactive nitrogen free
radicals. This explains why smokers have notoriously low levels of gamma
tocopherol as their body's store of gamma tocopherol is used to
neutralize free radicals. Population studies have found that gamma
tocopherol appears to protect against the development of lung disease in
smokers. It is important for smokers to consider supplementation of
gamma tocopherol.
High levels of gamma tocopherol have also
been linked to a lower incidence and reduced risk of death from
cardiovascular (coronary heart) disease. In a study involving 34,486
postmenopausal women, increased intake of dietary vitamin E, primarily
gamma tocopherol was associated with a reduce risk of death from
coronary heart disease. This association was not observed in women who
took vitamin E supplements derived from alpha tocopherol. Most of the
vitamin E supplements contain only beta tocopherol. Growing evidence
indicate that it may not be good to consume alpha tocopherol alone
without also consuming gamma tocopherol.
Studies have found that consuming alpha
tocopherol alone depresses gamma tocopherols in body tissues. This is
definitely not helpful (and may even be detrimental to health) if one
considers that by taking alpha tocopherol alone you lose out on the main
health benefits provided by gamma tocopherol that were already present
in the tissues. Thus it is advisable to consume both alpha tocopherol
and gamma tocopherol together. The studies also found that taking gamma
tocopherol with alpha tocopherol also increases the levels of both gamma
tocopherol and alpha tocopherol in body tissue. In nature, vitamin E is
found to contain all four members of the tocopherol family: alpha-,
beta-, delta- and gamma tocopherol.
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