Double protection against stroke

Tocotrienol, a vitamin E compound, has shown great promise in the prevention of stroke.

BY TAN SHIOW CHIN
Sunday April 27, 2014

Dr Rink (right) and his team are currently working on identifying the exact mechanisms by which tocotrienols improve collateral blood flow to stroke-affected areas of the brain. – Dr Cameron Rink

IMAGINE half of your body suddenly just going limp, or even worse, paralysed. Think of how life would be like going through every day without control of your bladder or bowel. Or not being able to speak clearly, or just living in constant pain.

These are just some of the more typical consequences of stroke, a common cardiovascular incident.

A stroke occurs when one or more of the arteries supplying the brain either gets blocked by a blood clot or artherosclerotic plaque (ischaemic stroke), or bursts and bleeds into the surrounding area (haemorrhagic stroke).

In either case, the brain tissue supplied by the blocked or burst artery is deprived of oxygen and nutrients, causing cell damage, and eventually, death of the affected tissue.

According to the National Stroke Association of Malaysia, stroke is the third most common cause of death in Malaysia, preceded only by heart attacks and cancer.

Every year, an estimated 40,000 people in the country suffer a stroke, and it is estimated to be the single largest cause of severe disability in Malaysia.

If that were not bad enough, as many as two out of five stroke victims are likely to experience another stroke within the first five years of the original attack, according to the United States National Stroke Association.

Now, the good news is that about 80% of strokes are actually preventable.

The key is to control those risk factors for stroke that can be modified. This includes managing high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and diabetes, quitting smoking, increasing physical activity, and consuming a healthier diet, among others.

Stroke survivors are also usually given antiplatelet agents like aspirin, and anticoagulants like warfarin and heparin, to prevent another stroke.

These drugs work to decrease the ability of the blood to clot, as over 80% of strokes are ischaemic in nature.

However, as with all drugs, they are not without their side effects.

These side effects primarily affect the gastrointestinal system, resulting in irritation of the stomach or bowel, nausea and indigestion.

Cell cultures and rats

In recent years, a team of researchers at The Ohio State University (OSU) in the United States have been looking into the effects of tocotrienols in preventing strokes.

Tocotrienols are one of two types of vitamin E compounds, with the other being tocopherols.

While tocopherols have long been researched, scientists have only started focusing on tocotrienols over the last two decades.

Hollywood actress Sharon Stone suffered from a haemorrhagic stroke in 2001. Stroke survivors in general stand a higher chance of having another stroke.

OSU Wexner Medical Centre assistant professor of vascular diseases and surgery Dr Cameron Rink shares that his doctorate supervisor Prof Dr Chandan Sen first described the unique neuroprotective properties of tocotrienols in the very same labs at the University of California, Berkeley, where anatomist Prof Dr Herbert Evans originally discovered vitamin E back in the 1920s.

“In early experiments published in 2000, Dr Sen found that tocotrienols at very low concentrations (nano-molar) could strikingly protect neurons grown in culture against cell death, whereas tocopherols could not.

“These early studies paved the way to study tocotrienol protection against brain injury in animal models when I joined his laboratory in 2002,” explains Dr Rink in an email interview.

As a graduate research assistant, Dr Rink’s work focused on identifying and testing the mechanisms of how tocotrienols protect the brain against ischaemic stroke injury and cell death.

This led to a 2005 paper published in Stroke, an American Heart Association journal, which showed that prophylactic supplementation of natural vitamin E tocotrienols – but not tocopherols – protected against stroke-induced brain injury in rodents.

From there, they moved on to larger animal models.

“To that end, my doctoral training included the development of a large animal model of ischaemic stroke that more closely mimicked the anatomy and pathophysiology of the stroke event as it occurs in the human brain,” says Dr Rink.

“A key benefit of this model is that it enabled, for the first time, a glimpse of the cerebrovascular response during stroke injury by real-time angiographic evaluation of blood flow.”

Not just cell protection

Two important findings were to come out of this research.

Firstly, as with the rodents, the preventive palm tocotrienol complex fed to the larger animals did indeed significantly reduce the size and severity of their stroke-induced injury,

Dr Rink explains that this particular tocotrienol formulation was used as palm oil contains some of the highest concentrations of tocotrienols found in nature.

Secondly, a blinded retrospective review of the cerebral angiograms (X-rays of the brain’s blood vessels) later found that aside from protecting neurons from cell death, tocotrienols also help improve the cerebrovascular collateral blood flow during a stroke.

“Cerebrovascular collaterals refer to a network of blood vessels in the brain with different anatomic origins, such that if one vessel is blocked, another can compensate for loss of blood flow,” he says.

“In humans, collaterals have been documented to provide blood to otherwise stroke-affected brain tissue, and protect against injury.”

He adds: “Interestingly, it is known that stroke survivors with enhanced cerebrovascular collateral blood supply fare better after stroke compared to those with poor collateral circulation.

“However, therapeutic strategies to improve collateral blood flow in the brain remain unknown.”

With this discovery, Dr Rink’s current work is focused on pinpointing how exactly tocotrienols cause the remodelling of collateral blood vessels for improved blood flow during a stroke.

He says: “It is important to note that decades of clinical research now support that neuroprotective agents alone are ineffective at mitigating stroke injury in the brain.

“Specifically, recent reviews have identified more than 1,000 neuroprotective agents that showed promise in a pre-clinical setting, but ultimately failed in clinical trials.

“It is now believed that neuroprotection represents only one of many factors that contribute to effective protection against stroke injury in the brain.

“In this light, evidence that palm tocotrienol complex enables multi-modal mechanisms of protection against stroke-induced brain injury (i.e. neuro and vascular protection) is paramount for clinical translation.”

Moving on to humans

With that in mind, Dr Rink and his colleagues are currently involved in two human clinical trials looking at the protective effects of tocotrienols against stroke.

The first one is a combined phase I and IIA clinical trial that is looking at, and comparing, the effect of tocotrienols in lowering both platelet function and cholesterol levels in healthy individuals and those with high cholesterol levels.

Participants in both groups are randomly assigned to take either a placebo, the palm tocotrienol complex, low-dose aspirin as commonly prescribed to prevent stroke, or a combination of the tocotrienols and aspirin.

The data collection period for this trial is expected to end in October.

The other clinical trial, which started last March, is an observational study involving stroke survivors who had their first stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) within the six months prior to joining the study.

This phase IIB trial aims to look at the effects of providing tocotrienol supplements on top of standard preventive stroke care to the platelet function and cholesterol levels of stroke survivors.

The participants will either receive a placebo, 400mg of palm tocotrienol complex or 800mg of the complex daily throughout the study.

This trial is expected to end in April 2016.

Successful conclusions to these trials will most likely lead to phase III and IV clinical trials, where larger groups of stroke and TIA patients will be observed to see if taking tocotrienols do indeed significantly help to prevent another stroke.

If tocotrienol supplementation does indeed fulfil its promise in preventing stroke in humans – especially without side effects, it will certainly be a game-changer in the management and prevention of stroke.

http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Health/2014/04/27/Double-protection-against-stroke/

What oil to use for cooking?

Sunday January 26, 2014

BY TAN SHIOW CHIN

Unsaturated cooking oils are deemed the best for our health, but this is not always true.

THE usage of oil in cooking has gotten a really bad reputation in recent decades. Healthcare professionals are constantly telling us to steam, braise, grill, bake, etc, rather than fry.

But this is hardly surprising, considering the concurrent rise in waistlines, cholesterol levels, blood pressure and heart disease over the past several years.

However, the truth is, we cannot do completely without oil, which is basically a form of fat, in our daily diet. A certain amount of fat is crucial to our nutrition, and this includes both saturated and unsaturated fats.

The primary reason for this is the fact that four essential vitamins – A, D, E and K – are only soluble in fat, thus, requiring it as an agent to enter our body’s digestive system.

Fat is also a powerhouse when it comes to providing us with energy, supplying almost twice the amount of calories per gram that carbohydrates do.

And this remains an important nutritional fact to consider when supplying food aid to the many malnourished communities around the world.

However, for the rest of us office-bound, sedentary people, who have much lower energy needs, but still eat like we do hard physical labour, this is a very bad thing, as the unused excess energy just gets stored in fat deposits around our body.

This is especially so as our body preferentially sources energy from carbohydrates, instead of fats and proteins.

This means that when given a choice, our body will break down carbohydrates first for energy, then only fats, which are less efficient to burn than carbohydrates, followed by proteins as a last resort when malnourished.

In addition, fat plays a far more important role in our food than many of us – other than cooking aficionados – might realise.

The usage of fat affects flavour, texture, appearance, and even, how full we feel, i.e. satiety. (See Food and fat)

But one of the most important functions of fat, in the form of oil, is its ability to be heated up to high temperatures without breaking down and transferring this heat to the food immersed in it. This allows food to be cooked quickly, contributes flavour, and helps in forming that delicious crunchy surface of deep-fried foods.

However, when it comes to cooking, not all edible oils are created equally.

Although the general understanding is that unsaturated vegetable oils are healthier than their saturated counterparts and animal oils, which are naturally high in saturated fats, this rule-of-thumb might not be as clear-cut as it seems.

Too much trans fat

In November, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its preliminary determination that partially-hydrogenated cooking oils are no longer “generally recognised as safe” for use in food.

This is because such oils are the main source of artificial trans fats in our diet.

According to the US Institute of Medicine, not only do trans fats have no known function, other than the generic role of energy source, but they also increase the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, also known as “bad”) cholesterol in our bodies. And a rise in LDL cholesterol, as we know, leads to more atherosclerosis and increased risk of heart disease.

In addition, some studies have suggested that, in comparison to their naturally-occurring siblings, artificial trans fats are actually more harmful to humans.

So, what exactly are partially-hydrogenated cooking oils?

Most vegetable oils consist of polyunsaturated fatty acids – the so-called “healthier” type of fat.

However, before they reach our supermarket shelves, these oils typically undergo a chemical process called hydrogenation, which results in the final partially-hydrogenated version.

The advantages of foods cooked with partially-hydrogenated oils is that they stay fresh longer, with a resultant longer shelf life, and have a more desirable texture; hence, their popularity within the food industry.

Partially-hydrogenated oils are also more stable when used at the high temperatures required for commercial frying, and can be reused more times than unsaturated oils.

The disadvantage, however, is that the process of partial hydrogenation also causes the creation of trans fats – a side effect deleterious enough to human health that the FDA is considering subjecting the usage of such oils to strict pre-market regulation and approval.

Suitable for reuse?

Whether it is in fastfood outlets, kopitiams or roadside stalls, cooking oil is usually reused as many times as possible.

Naturally, there are limitations to the number of times the oil can be reused, dependant on the type that it is.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), an important requirement of a cooking oil is that it remains stable under the “very abusive” conditions of deep frying, i.e. high temperatures and moisture.

The high temperature causes the cooking oil to polymerise, resulting in a viscous oil that is readily absorbed by foods and produces a greasy product.

Meanwhile, the high moisture content encourages the breakdown of fatty acids during heating, resulting in a poor-quality oil that starts to breakdown at subsequently lower temperatures, and becomes progressively darker in colour and more acrid in flavour and smell.

Needless to say, whatever nutritional values the oil might have diminishes under such circumstances, says Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) senior research officer Dr Azmil Haizam Ahmad Tarmizi.

The more unsaturated the cooking oil, the more vulnerable it is to these changes, which accumulate the more times the oil is reused.

Under such heavy usage, saturated oils like palm oil are actually more stable and able to withstand such changes.

Saturated oils like palm oil can withstand the harsh conditions of deep-frying better than unsaturated vegetable oils, which break down more easily and lose their nutritional value under such circumstances.

Nutrition-wise, Dr Azmil, who recently spoke at the 2013 MPOB International Palm Oil Congress on Novel Frying Approaches for Enhanced Food Quality, has found that palm oil also retains around half the amount of its original vitamin E, even after 24 hours of continuous frying. Palm oil contains the highest amount of tocotrienol – one of the two forms of vitamin E, found in nature.

Research has indicated that tocotrienols potentially have many health benefits, including lowering total and LDL cholesterol levels, protecting our nerve cells from damage and death during incidents like stroke and brain trauma, and helping to heal fatty liver disease.

Dr Azmil adds that palm oil is also cheaper than other alternative oils like genetically-modified high-oleic sunflower oil, making it a more economical option for the food industry.

So, at the end of the day, it is not just about reducing the amount of oil and fat that we consume, but also about choosing the appropriate type of oil that we do use in order to best protect our health and the health of those that we cook for.

http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Health/Nutrition/2014/01/26/What-oil-to-use-for-cooking/

Green gold - Palm Oil and Tocotrienols

12 November 2013

By Tan Bee Hong              

It’s Mother Nature’s gift to good health. Tan Bee Hong is amazed at the many benefits to be reaped from natural palm oil

WHILE the words oil and fats can make the health-conscious cringe with fear, here’s something that may change their minds.

How about an oil with so many health benefits it can blow your mind? Yes, there is such an oil. And it’s all natural.

Palm oil, produced from the fruit of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), contains a variety of fats, vitamins and nutrients, with no unhealthy trans-fatty acids that is mainly found in hydrogenated oils.

It has anti-cancer effects, reduces incidences of carcinogen-induced mammary tumours and helps in the reduction in the risk of arterial thrombosis and atherosclerosis, inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis and platelet aggregation, and reduction in blood pressure. (Zhang et al. 1997)

In his book, The Palm Oil Miracle, Dr Bruce Fife wrote that the benefits of palm oil include, apart from the above, better eye health, immunity boost, better blood circulation, improved nutrient absorption, strengthens bones and teeth, and protects against mental deterioration.

Indeed, palm oil is free of artery-clogging trans-fats as it is made up of a mixture of fatty acids and contains valuable vitamins and nutrition that our bodies need. It is rich in phytonutrients such as natural carotenes, tocotrienols and tocopherols (Vitamin E) and co-enzyme Q10.

TABS ON TOCOTRIENOLS

Professor Yuen Kah Hay of Universiti Sains Malaysia has been conducting studies to assess the neuro-protective, anti-atherogenic and hepatoprotective properties of tocotrienols (palm vitamin E) supplementation as determined by white matter lesion load on serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), carotid artery magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and liver ultrasound (US) as well as lipid profile analysis.

He said: “The results are very encouraging. This is the first study to show that in humans.

Tocotrienols is a supplement, not a drug, so it can be taken as a daily dietary supplement for neuroprotection.”

He and his team found that there was regression of white matter lesion load in terms of numbers and size in the brain (time frame: 1-2 years). Secondary results include regression of the carotid artery stenoses in terms of percentage and an improvement in liver echogenicity.

US STUDY

Meanwhile, in the United States, Dr Paul Sylvester, Professor of Pharmacology and director of Graduate Studies and Research at the College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana, conducted studies that demonstrated the anti-cancer effects of dietary palm oil (Sylvester et al., Cancer Research 46:757, 1986).

After intense studies and research on the health benefits of tocotrienols for nearly 25 years, Dr Sylvester reported: “In these studies, we investigated the effects of different types of high fat diets on mammary tumour development and discovered that nearly all of the different high fat diets were found to stimulate tumour development regardless of whether the diets were formulated with different animal versus vegetable fats or saturated versus unsaturated fats.

“The notable exception to this finding was the observation that high dietary intake of palm oil suppressed carcinogen-induced mammary tumourigenesis in experimental animals. Palm oil differs from other animal and vegetable fats in that it naturally contains high levels of tocotrienols.”

TUMOUR TEST

The findings were also confirmed in subsequent studies which showed that carcinogen-induced mammary tumour incidence was lower in rats fed high palm oil diets as compared to rats fed diets high in other dietary fats.

Dr Sylvester also conducted studies with palm oil diets stripped of tocotrienols and found that this enhances mammary tumourigenesis in rats. There’s no denying the massive amounts of evidence that further characterises the anti cancer action of palm tocotrienols.

It is now well established that tocotrienols, in contrast to tocopherols (the more common form of vitamin E), display potent antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity against a wide range of cancers at treatment doses that have little or no effect on normal cell growth and function.

In his studies, Dr Sylvester also established that combined treatment of palm tocotrienol with other traditional chemotherapies very often results in a synergistic inhibition in cancer cell growth and viability.

Since combination therapy of tocotrienol with other chemotherapeutic agents requires significantly lower treatment doses to suppress cancer cell growth and survival, an additional benefit can also be realised in a corresponding reduction in adverse side effects and toxicity characteristically associated with high dose chemotherapy.

Recent studies in the areas of tocotrienol kinetics have provided essential information required for understanding the therapeutic limitations of oral administration of tocotrienols.

TOCOTRIENOLS NATURALLY

LOWERS CHOLESTEROL

Tocotrienols which are naturally occurring in palm oil have been shown to suppress lower plasma cholesterol in humans. It inhibits cholesterol production in the liver, thereby lowering total blood cholesterol. Alpha tocotrienol suppresses hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity that results in the lowering of LDL cholesterol levels.

LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE

In a test on rats, palm gamma-tocotrienol showed the ability to prevent development of increased blood pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR) after three months of supplementation.

ANTI-CANCER AND TUMOUR SUPPRESSIVE

A study found that palm oil tocotrienols can inhibit human breast cancer cells. Delta-tocotrienol was found to be the most effective tocotrienols in inducing apoptosis (cell death) in human breast cancer cells and Gamma-tocotrienol is three times more potent in inhibiting growth of human breast cancer cultured cells than Tamoxifen.

REVERSES ARTERIOSCLEROSIS

When they consume 240mg of palm based tocotrienols per day for 18-36 months, patients with confirmed carotid arteriosclerosis showed a decrease in the amount of cholesterol plaque in their carotid artery. On the other hand, those receiving a placebo did not show such an effect.

NATURAL ANTIOXIDANT

Alpha-tocotrienol has been shown to be 40-60 times more potent than alpha-tocopherol as an antioxidant.

http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/health/green-gold-1.398151

Oil with multiple uses

19 November 2013

By Tan Bee Hong

Palm oil plays a larger role in our lives than we realise. Tan Bee Hong finds out more

PALM oil is, without doubt, an integral part of our lives. You may not even be aware of its presence. When you brush your teeth, the toothpaste you use may contain palm oil. Then you sit down to breakfast. You may add non-dairy creamer to your cup of coffee. That’s definitely made with palm oil. Then you spread margarine on a slice of bread and fry an egg. Both margarine and oil are palm oil–based.

After you shower (with soap and shampoo made with palm oil) you put on skincare and lipstick. Yes, made with palm oil. Believe it or not.

Throughout the day, the meals you eat will mostly be cooked with palm oil.

Indeed, there really is much more to the use of palm oil than meets the eye.

Palm oil has been used for over 5,000 years by humans who valued its health benefits. In Egypt, it was considered a sacred food ingredient and was so prized that jars of it had been found entombed with the pharaohs.

Medical circles have also recognised the value of red palm oil in the treatment and prevention of malnutrition and vitamin deficiency. Because of this, governments, particularly those in Third World countries, have been using it for decades to combat vitamin deficiency diseases which are rampant in poor communities.

These include use of palm oil as a cooking oil, so that the people will get a dose of the vitamin-rich oil on a daily basis. It is also used for baking. Providing school-going children daily with a cookie or biscuit enriched with palm oil, for instance, will go a long way to improve health among the impoverished. After all, palm oil is an excellent oil for cooking and baking as it contains 50 per cent saturated fatty acids, 40 per cent monosaturated fatty acids and 10 per cent polyunsaturated fatty acids. This composition is the reason why palm oil is stable and highly heat resistant as well as has a high smoke point of 225° Celsius.

Palm oil is also rich in Vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols). No other vegetable oil contains as much Vitamin E, a powerful anti-oxidant that helps fight free radicals in the body. Vitamin E is also helpful in lowering the risk of certain chronic diseases and delaying the body’s ageing process.

According to Dr Bruce Fife, an author, speaker, certified nutritionist, and naturopathic physician, “red palm oil not only supplies fatty acids essential for proper growth and development, but it is packed with an assortment of vitamins, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients important for good health. Red palm oil gets its name from its characteristic dark red colour. The colour comes from carotenes such as beta-carotene and lycopene — the same nutrients that give tomatoes and carrots and other fruits and vegetables their rich red and orange colours”.

Continuing modern research is revealing that the antioxidants found in red palm oil can be of help in protecting against a variety of health problems including osteoporosis, asthma, cataract, macular degeneration, arthritis and liver disease.

Palm oil comes from the fruit of the oil palm (Elaesis guineensis), a native plant in Africa which is today, grown in the hot, humid equatorial belt, particularly Southeast Asia, West Africa and South America. Malaysia is one of the world’s largest producer and exporter of palm oil.

While the fruit of the oil palm produces two types of oil, one from fibrous outer layer called mesocarp and another from the fruit kernel, it is the former that we usually refer to when speaking about palm oil. Crude palm oil has lots of residue and a strong, pungent smell. It needs to be refined and processed to create oil for use in the various forms.

During the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, the people in rural areas depended largely on palm oil for daily use.

Home economist and queen of nyonya cuisine Florence Tan, told me that the people then had little choice. After all, oil palm fruit was more easily available but the crude oil extracted, was smelly and had to be sieved first before it can be considered for use.

Today, red palm oil is readily available on supermarket shelves under the brand name Carotino.

“I first saw Carotino when it was first introduced into the market. It reminded me immediately of the crude palm oil that we had to make do with during the Japanese Occupation,” says Florence.

“Everything was in short supply then and our Malay neighbours in Malacca told my parents to try the palm oil, saying it’s very nutritious. Of course in those days, it was just crude palm oil and was rather smelly as it wasn’t processed.”

Today, she is a great advocate for the use of palm oil. “I use it every day. It’s great for making salad dressings like Thousand Island. I use it to bake breads and carrot cake. Oh, you should see the colour of the carrot cake... beautiful!

When you fry eggs with it, it adds a lovely sheen... and use it for fried rice and tomato rice,” she says enthusiastically.

She admits there are certain limitations, especially where Chinese style stirfried green vegetables are concerned, or dishes like Cantonese fried noodles. “But you can use it for mixed vegetables with no problems,” she says.

“When the Chinese see the oil, they immediately think of the red-coloured oil used to light prayer lamps. At that time, everybody thought corn oil and sunflower oil were the best. But now, the younger generation is much more receptive and they know which oil is better for their health.”
 http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/health/oil-with-multiple-uses-1.404763

Palm for the heart

Sunday March 3, 2013

By FIONA HO
starhealth@thestar.com.my

Emerging new data shows that palm Vitamin E tocotrienols may have protective effects on cardiovascular health.



Statistics from the Ministry of Health in 2009
estimated that about one in four deaths in
government hospitals was attributed to
either heart attacks or strokes.

IT seems that humankind has been in search of cures for heart diseases for as long as medical science existed.

The phenomenon was said to have first reared its ugly head in the 1920s and 1930s, when physicians across Britain and the United States were alerted that an uncommon disease was quickly becoming a leading cause of death.

This prophecy came true by the 1950s, and a decade after, a new generation of physicians was convinced that the disease had never been rare.

Gradually, it was accepted that cardiovascular diseases are a plague of humankind that can be possibly avoided only by virtue of eating rabbit food and adopting a treadmill-pounding lifestyle.

Despite enhanced awareness of heart diseases, the health threat remains a constant in the face of modern living.

Heart disease is now the number one killer for adults in the United States.

About 600,000 people die of heart diseases in the country every year, accounting for one in every four deaths. Of the statistics, coronary heart disease is the most common killer, with over 385,000 deaths annually.


Malaysians are equally predisposed to this health threat. Statistics from the Ministry of Health in 2009 estimated that one in four deaths in government hospitals was attributed to either heart attacks or strokes.

Many Malaysians are doing themselves no favours by perpetually eating too much and exercising too little, given that eating is something of a national past time here.

Current findings by the Ministry also revealed that two in every five adults are either overweight or obese, making Malaysians the fattest folks in South-East Asia.

Unfortunately, being overweight or obese increases one’s risk of developing heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Despite these factors, some 75% of Malaysians never exercise at all, the Ministry added.

Given these scenarios, there is little doubt that incidences of heart-related diseases will be on the rise.

Red palm oil (RPO) may be the key in counteracting these risks, says American celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, better known as Dr Oz in a recent television broadcast.

RPO, extracted from the fruitlets of the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis), can help fight belly fat build-up, ward off heart diseases, as well as combat signs of ageing, says Dr Oz.

The oil derives its attractive red hue from the high content of phytonutrients known as carotenoids (a precursor to Vitamin A) and tocotrienols (a derivative of Vitamin E) which are readily found in the oil palm fruitlets.

Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants well-known for their anti-ageing properties. In recent years, carotenoids have also been gaining a reputation for their protective effects on heart diseases. Their antioxidant properties don’t only help stave off wrinkles; they also help protect the lining of the arteries and the fats in the blood from oxidative damage caused by free radicals; ensuring a functional overall biological system.

However, more notably is the RPO’s abundance of tocotrienols, a vitamin E derivative that is fast becoming a superstar in the health and wellness domain.

The term vitamin E actually encompasses eight natural compounds: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols - each named alpha, beta, delta and gamma.

Most vitamin E supplements in the market contain only mixed tocopherols, or alpha, beta, delta and gamma tocopherols. However, with continuing research, tocotrienols are fast emerging as the superior siblings in the vitamin E family.

Recent research findings have suggested that these tocotrienols possess powerful neuro-protective, antioxidant, anti-cancer, as well as cholesterol-lowering properties, and therefore are beneficial for your heart.

Clinical trials conducted by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) have shown that palm tocotrienols help reduce arterial stiffness, in addition to providing other cardiovascular benefits, such as cholesterol-lowering and anti-platelet effects, says Dr Sharon Ling.

According to Dr Sharon Ling, Vice-president (Scientific Affairs) of Carotech Bhd, recent clinical trials conducted by the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) have shown that palm tocotrienols help reduce arterial stiffness and blood pressure.

Arterial stiffness occurs as a consequence of age and atherosclerosis (stiffening of arteries). Age-related stiffness occurs when the elastic fibres within the arterial wall known as elastin begin to fray due to mechanical stress.

“As we age, degeneration of the arterial wall generally results in blood vessel wall stiffening,” Dr Ling explains.

Increased arterial stiffness is a predictor of cardiovascular events, even in apparently healthy individuals. The two leading causes of death in the modern world – myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke, are direct consequences of atherosclerosis.

The studies showed that supplementation with self-emulsifying palm tocotrienols reduced arterial stiffness. Self-emulsifying palm tocotrienols also provide further cardiovascular benefits via its cholesterol-lowering and anti-platelet effects, Dr Ling says.

The findings concluded that tocotrienols may help prevent the onset of cardiovascular diseases, she adds.

Popular food sources of tocotrienols include palm oil, rice bran, coconut oil, cocoa butter, barley and wheat germ. Of these, palm oil is the richest source of tocotrienol. About 75% of palm vitamin E consists of tocotrienols.

“Unlike tocopherols, it is very difficult to obtain enough tocotrienols needed for the above health benefits from diet alone. To do this, you need at least two to three cups of palm oil a day. Therefore, supplementation is the only practical way to obtain enough tocotrienols,” she says.

Whilst palm oil is widely used as a cooking oil in Malaysia, Dr Ling commented that because cooking oil is often processed, the essential phytonutrients that are found in palm oil would have been stripped off.

“Tocotrienols can benefit everyone, from children to the elderly. This is why we need to educate Malaysians about the specific palm phytonutrients that are vital for health, so that they know where to look for it,” she concludes.

Source:   http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2013/3/3/health/12774787&sec=health

Vitamin E - Tocotrienols from Palm Oil

A rising star

By FIONA HO
starhealth@thestar.com.my

Sunday December 16, 2012

Palm oil fruit are the richest natural source of tocotrienols.
About 75% of vitamin E from palm oil consists of tocotrienols.

Tocotrienols, the lesser-known siblings of the vitamin E family, are fast emerging as a superior addition to the prevalent and more popularly used tocopherols. Together, they provide a full range of antioxidant properties that are vital for good health.

VITAMIN E was discovered nearly a century ago, and has since risen from scientific obscurity to become a superstar of kitchen cabinet essentials.

Today, the antioxidant is slowly, but surely, becoming known for a myriad of health-enhancing benefits. They include the ability to stave off heart diseases, strokes, dementia, cataracts, respiratory tract infections and various common cancers.

It has also been found to promote healing, and is riding high on its shiny reputation as a skin-and-nails vitamin.

This is because its antioxidant properties protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals (molecules responsible for aging and tissue damage), and exposure to cell-damaging agents like sunlight and radiation. This in turn, helps fight off those pesky wrinkles and premature aging.

Lotions that contain vitamin E may also help prevent sunburn by protecting the skin from harmful ultra-violet rays.

Given its properties, it is no wonder that vitamin E-based products are becoming a popular mainstay in the beauty and cosmetics domain.

Most vitamin E supplements are usually available at pharmacies in either liquid or capsule form.

Capsules can be punctured to release the oil for topical application.

Besides being a beauty booster, topical vitamin E oil can also help soothe cold sores or blisters that typically develop on the lips or at the outer corners of the mouth.

There has also been evidence that the oil helps promote the healing of certain skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema, by shielding cell membranes and providing hydration.
 

Ling... More research and
development are vital in
promoting the benefits of
tocotrienol to both local
 and international markets. 

 Not all equal

The varied benefits of vitamin E make it an important element in our daily diet, but not all vitamin E are created equal.

The term vitamin E actually encompasses eight natural compounds: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols – each named alpha, beta, delta and gamma.

Most available vitamin E supplements in the market contain only mixed tocopherols, or alpha, beta, delta and gamma tocopherols. However, the tocopherols make up only half of the vitamin E family.

With continuing research, alpha, beta, delta and gamma tocotrienols are fast emerging as the superior siblings in the vitamin E family.

Tocotrienols were actually discovered some 30 years ago, but has only been setting the scientific community abuzz in recent years.

Research on this lesser-known vitamin E compound has surged over the past four years, with an increase of over 50% of peer-reviewed articles since 2008.

However, studies on tocotrienols still pale in comparison to that of tocopherols, accounting for only 1% of all research into vitamin E.

Past research has shown that tocotrienols are able to inhibit the growth of tumour cells in chemically-induced breast cancer in rodents.

Studies on the delta and gamma variety of tocotrienols have also shown their inhibiting qualities on human breast cancer cells by inducing cell death through the initiation of apoptosis (the programmed death of cells).

Meanwhile, the Journal of Biological Chemistry (April 2000) reported that researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, United States, found alpha tocotrienol to be effective in preventing the onset and progression of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Popular food sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Tocotrienols are however, most richly found in palm oil fruit. About 75% of vitamin E from palm oil consists of tocotrienols.

Together, both tocopherols and tocotrienols provide the full range of antioxidant properties contained in vitamin E, as both forms can neutralise free radicals.

However, tocotrienols have been proven in various local and overseas studies to be the better antioxidants and neuro-protection supplements, as compared with tocopherol.

Looking to the future

Malaysian plantation giant Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd is taken by the health benefits of tocotrienols, and foresees a profitable future in the vitamin E derivative.

Putting money where its mouth is, the corporation’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Davos Life Science Pte Ltd, is dedicated to the production of tocotrienol products.

Davos was established in 2004 as a manufacturer that isolates and purifies natural tocotrienol to be used in supplements and functional foods, as well as personal care and pharmaceutical formulations.

It recently moved its nutraceutical plant from Singapore to Westport, Port Klang, and is targeting to reach its full capacity of 100 tonnes per year within five years.

According to chief executive officer Arthur Ling, the new plant spans two acres, and is currently in its start-up phase.

He says that despite existing evidence of tocotrienol’s benefits, more work is still required to create market demand, and Davos is aimed at that purpose.

The demand could also help promote palm oil as a beneficial palm derivative, especially in the Western world, he adds.

The main challenge lies in educating the public about the benefits of the vitamin E compound.

“Because tocotrienol was discovered only about three decades ago, its health benefits are still relatively unknown to the general public,” says Ling.

Cognisant of the potential of this vitamin E derivative, the Malaysian Government, through the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), has been pushing for more research on the medical applications of tocotrienols.

The drive to add value to tocotrienols falls under the 8th Entry Point Project of the Palm Oil National Key Economic Area (NKEA), which aims to expedite growth in the food and health-based segments of palm oil.

For Davos, the future lies in further experimentation, using the more purified forms of tocotrienol compounds.

In order to compete with the popular and cheaper soybean oil, tocopherol and tocotrienol producers have to come up with higher-purity products, containing 90% and above tocotrienol content, says Ling.

He adds that more research and development are vital in promoting the benefits of tocotrienol to both local and international markets.

The increase in tocotrienol demand could create a shift from soya sources to palm sources in the vitamin E market.

This, in turn, could spur the local palm oil industry as its fruit is the richest known source of tocotrienols, Ling says.

Davos currently supplies tocotrienol in various forms to the United States, Europe and Asia for high-end health supplements, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.

“All our customers are foreign because there is no market in Malaysia,” he explains.

The company is also collaborating with the MPOB on tocotrienol research.

Source: A Rising Star

Protecting our nerves

By MENG YEW CHOONG
starhealth@thestar.com.my

Sunday June 24, 2012

Tocotrienols, a form of vitamin E, might be the key to protecting our nerves from further neurological damage.

OUR nervous system is a complex and delicate structure of nerve cells, also known as neurons, and support cells that governs every part of our body.

Everything that we feel and everything that we do, is transmitted and interpreted through this intricate informational highway that connects every cell within us.

Therefore, you can imagine that any insult or injury to it could result in devastating consequences.

Prof Sen is the highest cited author in scientific work involving tocotrienols and neu roprotection.

Neuroprotection refers to the mechanisms and strategies used to protect against injury to nerve cells, or degeneration in the central nervous system (CNS).

These injuries could be the result of acute disorders such as stroke, or any other form of injury or trauma to the nervous system, as well as from chronic neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis.

The aim of neuroprotection is to limit the level of damage or death of neurons after a CNS injury, as well as to maintain the highest possible integrity of cellular interactions in the brain for undisturbed neural function as we age.

There are a wide range of products touted as having possible neuroprotective abilities, with some claiming to have the potential to be used in more than one disorder, based on the premise that many of the underlying mechanisms of damage to neural tissues are similar.

Currently, there is a high level of interest in applying neuroprotective principles in the prevention and treatment of diseases involving the CNS, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, and stroke.

Strokes are of particular concern, considering that they are the number one cause of disability, and number three killer disease, in the United States.

It is also the third-ranked killer disease for Malaysia, estimated to afflict around 40,000 each year.

A stroke occurs when a blood clot, or ruptured artery or blood vessel, interrupts blood flow to an area of the brain, causing it to be starved of oxygen and nutrients.

Looking into vitamin E

A researcher at the Ohio State University Medical Center, United States, Prof Chandan K Sen first started to look seriously into tocotrienols — a natural form of vitamin E found in abundance in palm oil — and neuroprotection since 1998.

Having spent more than a decade studying tocotrienols’ potential neuroprotective abilities against stroke-induced injuries, he began receiving funding from the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) for his research involving palm tocotrienol complexes from 2004.

With over 250 publications under his name, Prof Sen is the highest cited author in scientific work involving tocotrienols and neuroprotection.

In a lengthy interview hosted on a health-focused educational video channel called iHealthTube.com, Prof Sen talks about the possible role of tocotrienols in neuroprotection in a manner that would be of interest to anyone currently pursuing or intending to pursue medical research using tocotrienols.

In the portion of the 13-part video interview on stroke, Prof Sen shares how he started the NINDS-funded stroke prevention research, and the direction of his investigations into the role tocotrienols can play in stroke protection and post-stroke rehabilitation.

“While the burden of stroke on the survivor, caregivers and the healthcare system is enormous, there is very little study being done on this disease, especially when it comes to nutritional supplementation.

“And when you analyse the situation closely, you will see that there is no single category of drug — for example, neuroprotectants — that are able to give adequate protection against strokes.

“Hence, it seems that the ideal treatment for stroke would have to be multi-targeted, and as of now, there are lots of studies in this regard,” he says.

Nerve rescue

Prof Sen adds that initial observations from his teams’ work on tocotrienols show that nerve cells can be rescued from injury after being insulted, or in simpler terms, the cells could fully recover after suffering damage caused by a stroke.

“Lots of compounds have been shown to have neuroprotective abilities.

“However, the concentrations at which tocotrienols can work to protect someone is as low as nanomolars.

“There is nothing else as far as I know in the nutritional industry that can rescue neural cells at nanomolar levels,” he says in the video.

Being able to partly rescue nerve cells for stroke survivors could mean a lot.

“It could mean that someone who cannot talk, could now talk. Or if he cannot lift his left hand, he could do so now,” says Prof Sen.

He is nonetheless careful to add that all these potentially positive effects of tocotrienols have only been seen so far in animal studies.

However, Prof Sen’s team is now well underway in their work to prove the efficacy of tocotrienols in humans.

With a grant from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, the researchers are now into Phase II of a two-year US-based study to look at the value of supplementation with tocotrienols in reducing the volume of stroke-induced lesions, and/or stroke incidence, mortality and quality of life.

The study, when completed, will hold much value for those who have suffered from a transient ischaemic attack (TIA).

A TIA is defined as a temporary episode of neurologic dysfunction caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, but does not result in permanent damage to the brain.

The symptoms are very similar to those of a fullblown stroke, but normally resolve within a short time (from an hour up to 24 hours).

“Those who had a TIA are at a higher risk of having a bigger stroke, and the data on the recurrence is already out there.

“The study will provide these patients with tocotrienols, and look at the recurrence rate. If there is a stroke, we will look at lesion size,” shares Prof Sen.

http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2012/6/24/health/11467350&sec=health

Palm oil, still misunderstood

06 May 2012 | Last updated at 01:28AM

HEALTHY OIL: Many avoid foods high in saturated fats, fearing the onset of artery-clogging diseases such as heart attack and stroke. A food scientist tells Ooi Tee Ching the facts on palm oil nutrition

Health-conscious food producers have switched to palm oil
and its solid fractions because of its versatility.

MANY people worry that if they eat cakes, biscuits, pastries and chocolate made with palm oil, it will be detrimental to their health.

They believe that the saturated fat content in palm oil is too high to be part of a healthy diet, said Malaysian Oil Scientists and Technologists Association president Tan Sri Dr Augustine Ong.

A former Malaysian Palm Oil Board director-general, Ong recalled that the first negative attention palm oil received was in the 1980s when outraged millionaire industrialist Phil Sokolov suffered a heart attack and started campaigning against the ubiquitous use of tropical oils -- such as palm and coconut oil -- in ready-to-serve foods.

Sokolov's campaign themed "The Poisoning of America" featured nationwide full-page newspaper advertisements describing the dangers of saturated fats found in palm oil.

Many of his supporters repeatedly linked palm oil consumption to increasing blood cholesterol levels and heart disease risk; a misconception that still looms to this day.

Ong acknowledges that palm oil contains a higher percentage of saturated fat when compared with heart healthy dietary oils like olive oil. But it must also be highlighted that half of palm oil's fat content is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated -- known to increase "good cholesterol" and benefit the cardiovascular system.

Ong said Sokolov was correct that palm oil was relatively high in saturated fats when compared with other vegetable oils like soy, canola and sunflower. But, in contrast with meat and dairy fats, palm oil does not contain cholesterol.

Three decades later, countless studies have proven that animal sources of saturated fats pose far higher heart disease risk than palm cooking oil -- something Sokolov's campaign was not aware of.
Ong explained that since palm oil was a plant-based saturated fats, it metabolises differently in the body and does not promote plaque build-up in the arteries.

"In fact, there are now more than 100 studies proving that tocotrienols, a vitamin E variant in palm oil, lowers bad cholesterol," he said.

"Saturated fats are a necessity in our daily diet. The real villain in cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are artificial trans fats brought on by the hydrogenation of soft oils."

Luisa Gambelli, a food technologist and formulator with renowned specialty fats company Loders Croklaan Europe lists down 10 interesting facts about palm oil.

FACT 1: Palm oil is a fruit oil.

Palm oil is obtained from the flesh of the oil palm fruit. Like olive oil, palm oil is a fruit oil. Palm oil should not be mistaken for palm kernel oil which is extracted from the kernel or seed of the palm fruit.

Each palm fruit yields 90 per cent palm oil and 10 per cent palm kernel oil. Palm oil has a balanced composition of both saturated and unsaturated fats, coupled with high content of vitamin E.

FACT 2: Palm oil has been in our food since 5,000 years ago.

According to archaeological findings, traces of palm oil were found in an Egyptian tomb in Abydos. Since the country does not produce palm oil, this evidence suggests that palm oil had already been widely traded during the time of the Pharaohs.

FACT 3: Palm oil is the world's most consumed vegetable oil.

Palm oil is consumed worldwide as cooking oil and constituents of margarine and shortening. Last year, leading industry journal Oil World showed that global consumption of vegetable oils totalled 178.2 million tonnes.

Of that volume, palm oil accounted for 30 per cent of the global market share, while rivals like soya oil only command 24 per cent and rapeseed oil, 13 per cent.

FACT 4: Palm oil is the world's most efficient oil crop.

Only 0.26 hectares of land is required to produce one tonne of oil while soybean, sunflower and rapeseed require 2.22, 2.0 and 1.52 hectares, respectively, to produce the same.

FACT 5: Palm oil is rich in carotenoids.

Palm oil is high in carotenoids, which include carotene and lycopene -- more than in carrots or tomatoes. It is these carotenoids that give the oil its red colouring.

Vitamin A, or retinol, is an important nutrient for vision, the immune system and gene expression in the formative years of young children. Lack of vitamin A can impair development in children, cause eye and skin problems and decrease immune system functions.

FACT 6: The vitamin E in palm oil can kill cancer cells.

Palm oil contains the complete vitamin E family of tocopherols and tocotrienols. Studies on breast cancer cells showed that palm oil vitamin E inhibited the growth of the cancer cells of as much as 50 per cent. Cancer cells death was also observed.

FACT 7: Palm oil vitamin E may save brain cells from dying in the event of a stroke.

Tocotrienols are a naturally occurring vitamin E nutrient in palm oil. Studies published in the journal Stroke in 2005, show that brain cells treated with tocotrienols were 100 per cent more likely to survive in the event of a stroke.

Only a small amount of tocotrienol is needed to achieve these effects -- about 250 nanomolar, which is 10 times lower than the average amount of tocotrienol circulating in humans who consume vitamin E regularly.
   
FACT 8: Palm oil is nutritionally balanced.

One tablespoon of processed palm cooking oil contains 120 calories and 13.6 grams of fat. With a balanced combination of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fats, palm oil is made up of 44 per cent oleic, 10 per cent linoleic, 40 per cent palmitic and five per cent stearic acids.

FACT 9: Saturated fats are not necessarily bad.

Tropical oils have a bad reputation in cardiovascular health because they contain high levels of saturated fats compared with other vegetable oils.

Nevertheless a recent analysis published in the January 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that there was no evidence to show that dietary saturated fat was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

The effect of saturated fat should be seen in the context of a person's overall diet and environment.
High intake of saturated fat associated to low intake in polyunsaturated fatty acids, consumption of sugary and salty foods, excessive alchohol intake, smoking and stress collectively trigger the onset of cardiovascular diseases.

FACT 10: Poly-unsaturated oils are unhealthy when hydrogenated.

Many foods, like baked pastries and confectioneries, require solid fats to give them structure and texture. This is achieved either by using saturated fats or partially hydrogenated polyunsaturated fats containing trans fats.

For decades, trans fats were used as the preferred choice. But following increasing awareness of the deadly effects of trans fats in the last decade, many food scientists have turned to alternatives.
Health-conscious food producers have switched to palm oil and its solid fractions as they become convinced of its versatility and natural image.

Food scientists confirmed that palm oil does not need to be hydrogenated to bake well. For products requiring very high heat, such as frying, palm oil combines good performance with high stability and shelf life, both lacking in highly unsaturated fats.

http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/palm-oil-still-misunderstood-1.81099

The Feel-Good Oil - Palm Oil

09 April 2012 | Last updated at 08:26PM
By Tan Bee Hong | phoenixbee@nst.com.my

A natural oil from a fruit with lots of health benefits, palm oil is one of the best gifts to us from Mother Nature, writes Tan Bee Hong.


PALM oil, produced from the fruit of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), contains a variety of fats, vitamins and nutrients, with no unhealthy trans-fatty acids that is mainly found in hydrogenated oils.

Palm oil is free of artery-clogging trans-fats as it is made up of a mixture of fatty acids and contains valuable vitamins and nutrition that our bodies need. It is rich in phytonutrients such as natural carotenes, tocotrienols and tocopherols (Vitamin E) and co-enzyme Q10.

ANTI-CANCER EFFECTS

Studies on the health benefits of palm oil show it has anti-cancer properties and the fatty acids of palm oil can inhibit and/or delay experimental carcinogenesis.

In the United States, Dr Paul Sylvester, Professor of Pharmacology and director of Graduate Studies and Research at the College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana, has conducted studies that demonstrated the anti-cancer effects of dietary palm oil (Sylvester et al., Cancer Research 46:757, 1986).

“In these studies, we investigated the effects of different types of high fat diets on mammary tumour development and discovered that nearly all of the different high fat diets were found to stimulate tumour development regardless of whether the diets were formulated with different animal versus vegetable fats or saturated versus unsaturated fats,” said Dr Sylvester who has been researching on the health benefits of tocotrienols for nearly 25 years.

“The notable exception to this finding was the observation that high dietary intake of palm oil suppressed carcinogen-induced mammary tumourigenesis in experimental animals. Palm oil differs from other animal and vegetable fats in that it naturally contains high levels of tocotrienols.”

LOWER TUMOUR INCIDENCE

The findings were confirmed in subsequent studies that showed carcinogen-induced mammary tumour incidence was lower in rats fed high palm oil diets as compared to rats fed diets high in other dietary fats, he said, adding that palm oil diets stripped of tocotrienols were found to enhance mammary tumorigenesis in rats.

There has been a massive amount of evidence that further characterised the anti-cancer action of palm tocotrienols. It is now well-established that tocotrienols, in contrast to tocopherols (the more common form of vitamin E), display potent antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity against a wide range of cancers at treatment doses that have little or no effect on normal cell growth and function.

Dr Sylvester said it has also been established that combined treatment of palm tocotrienol with other traditional chemotherapies very often results in a synergistic inhibition in cancer cell growth and viability. Since combination therapy of tocotrienol with other chemotherapeutic agents requires significantly lower treatment doses to suppress cancer cell growth and survival, an additional benefit can also be realised in a corresponding reduction in adverse side effects and toxicity characteristically associated with high dose chemotherapy.

Recent studies in the areas of tocotrienol kinetics have provided essential information required for understanding the therapeutic limitations of oral administration of tocotrienols.

OTHER BENEFITS

Intensive research into the health benefits of palm oil also show that it helps in the reduction in the risk of arterial thrombosis and atherosclerosis, inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis and platelet aggregation, and reduction in blood pressure.

In a study comparing palm, soya bean, peanut oils and lard, researchers in China found that palm oil actually increased the levels of good cholesterol and reduced the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood (Zhang et al. 1997).

According to the book, The Palm Oil Miracle by Dr Bruce Fife, benefits of palm oil include, apart from those mentioned earlier, better eye health, immunity boost, better blood circulation, improved nutrient absorption, strengthens bones and teeth, and protects against mental deterioration.

LONG HISTORY

People have been using palm oil for cooking for thousands of years. Today, it is used all over the world as cooking oil as well as in the production of a huge variety of food products.

Because palm oil is naturally semi-solid at room temperature, it does not require hydrogenation, making it a good replacement for partially hydrogenated oils. It provides the same “hard or solid” fat needed to produce pastries, cookies and other food items that require long shelf stability and a particular texture.

NEURO-PROTECTIVE

Professor Yuen Kah Hay of Universiti Sains Malaysia is presently conducting a study to assess the neuro-protective, anti-atherogenic and hepatoprotective properties of tocotrienols (palm vitamin E) supplementation as determined by white matter lesion load on serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), carotid artery magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and liver ultrasound (US) as well as lipid profile analysis.

He says: “The results are very encouraging. This is the first study to show that in humans. Tocotrienols is a supplement, not a drug, so it can be taken as a daily dietary supplement for neuroprotection.”

He and his team found that there was regression of white matter lesion load in terms of numbers and size in the brain (time frame: 1-2 years). Secondary results include regression of the carotid artery stenoses in terms of percentage and an improvement in liver echogenicity.

http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/health/the-feel-good-oil-1.72295 

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What tocotrienols do

09 April 2012 | Last updated at 08:29PM

Vitamin E, an essential nutrient for the body, is made up of four variants of tocopherols and another four called tocotrienols. Tocopherols are sourced from oilseeds such as soya oil, canola and sunflower, while tocotrienols are only found in abundance in palm oil and rice bran oil. What can tocotrienols do that tocopherols cannot?

LOWERS CHOLESTEROL
Tocotrienols inhibit cholesterol production in the liver, thereby lowering total blood cholesterol. Alpha tocotrienol suppresses hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity that results in the lowering of LDL cholesterol levels. Tocotrienols, which are naturally occurring in palm oil, have been shown to suppress lower plasma cholesterol in humans.

REVERSES ARTERIOSCLEROSIS
A study showed that patients with confirmed carotid arteriosclerosis, who consumed 240mg of palm based tocotrienols per day for 18-36 months, had a decrease in the amount of cholesterol plaque in their carotid artery while those receiving placebo did not show such an effect.

ANTI-CANCER AND TUMOUR SUPPRESSIVE
Palm oil tocotrienols has been shown to inhibit human breast cancer cells. Delta-tocotrienol was found to be the most effective tocotrienols in inducing apoptosis (cell death) in human breast cancer cells and Gamma-tocotrienol is three times more potent in inhibiting growth of human breast cancer cultured cells than Tamoxifen.

NATURAL ANTIOXIDANT
Alpha-tocotrienol has been shown to be 40-60 times more potent than alpha-tocopherol as an antioxidant.

LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE
In a test on rats, palm gamma-tocotrienol shows the ability to prevent development of increased blood pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR) after 3 months of supplementation.

http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/health/what-tocotrienols-do-1.72300


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Kernel of possibility

By EDWARD R. HENRY
starhealth@thestar.com.my

Sunday April 8, 2012

Palm oil is a good choice to help improve health.

PALM OIL has been the preferred cooking oil among South-East Asians due to its health properties, versatility, affordable price and naturally good resistance against rancidity, as opposed to other vegetable oils.

Distinguished for its health benefits, palm oil has been promoted by researchers as a healthier choice as it has zero trans-fat, and is bland and odourless.

Palm oil is good to prevent stroke
and  bleeding in the brain. —
DR PRAKASH ADHIKARI 

Wilmar Biotechnology Research and Development Center (Shanghai) Co. Limited research and development engineer Dr Prakash Adhikari says palm oil is a rich source of antioxidants and beta-carotenes.

“According to studies, palm oil increases the good HDL cholesterol without raising the overall cholesterol levels. It is also effective at reducing the level of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol that is linked to heart disease.

“It also contains essential fatty acids required for bone, joint and skin health. Palm oil has a low polyunsaturated fat content — a contrast to its richness in antioxidants like vitamin E, tocotrienols and beta-carotene, combined to give the oil a distinctive reddish tint,” he says.

Vitamin E protects arteries from thickening, and the skin from toxins and UV radiation.
  
Like other saturated oils, palm oil needs no “hydrogenation” to increase the shelf life of its food products, as all its carbon atoms are linked to each other and a pair of hydrogen atoms, meaning that it is fully saturated.

Palm oil is easily obtained from the fruit by pressing and squeezing it.

It is reddish in colour and suitable for both commercial and home cooking.

Dr Adhikari says palm oil can be separated into two forms by fractionation, where it is separated under controlled thermal conditions into solid and liquid forms.

“Called stearin, the solid form is used to make solid fats such as margarine.

“The liquid part called olein is more healthy, and used by food makers,” he says.

Dr Adhikari adds that palm oil antioxidants enable the body to combat free radicals that originate from air pollution, unba-lanced diets and acute stress.

So, a higher intake of antioxidants can help prevent heart disease, arthritis, atherosclerosis, and certain cancers, as well as slow down the aging process, he explains.

“Researchers have found that tocotrienol, a natural compound in vitamin E, blocks the function of an enzyme in the brain that causes brain cells to die after a stroke.

“Vitamin E occurs naturally in foods in eight different forms (four tocopherols: alpha, beta, gamma and delta-tocopherol and four tocotrienols: alpha, beta, gamma and delta-tocotrienol), each of which has unique, as well as complementary biological actions that target specific pathways to protect against neural cell death and rescues the brain after stroke injury,” adds Dr Adhikari.

He shares that another added health benefit of palm oil is its nutrients’ resilience to heat.

“Some vegetable oils, if heated to high temperatures, will lose their nutritional value, but with palm oil, studies have shown otherwise, suggesting it can be heated during cooking without eliminating its phytonutrient content,” he says.

He adds that palm oil can be used as a substitute for cooking needs like greasing, shortening and frying.

Malaysians find palm oil ideal for frying foods, and also for stir-frying, as the smoking point is high
.
“Palm oil does not contain proteins at all, and there are no known allergies from palm oil. Though there has been a lot of bad media hype about the so called “tropical oils” in the past, most of the negative campaign claims have not been substantiated in recent research,” he says.

“Baked goods, infant formula, cake mixes and instant noodles all contain palm oil as one of the ingredients,” he adds.

Palm oil has a high heating
point and is good for frying. —
MOHAMED METWALLY

Savola Foods Product Development Innovations senior innovations manager Mohamed Metwally opines that palm oil is excellent for cooking and baking.

“It consists of 50% saturated fatty acids, 40% monounsaturated fatty acids, and 10% polyunsaturated fatty acids.

“The high saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid content makes palm oil heat resistant and stable at high cooking or frying temperatures.

“The high saturated fat and antioxidant content makes it extremely resistant to oxidation and free-radical formation,” he says.

According to a researcher, if a person has sustained a cut, they can use palm oil to heal the injured part.

Reputed to have a beneficial healing effect, the oil, when applied in a small amount to a wound, can aid in healing, similar to an iodine tincture.

Malaysians wanting a healthy substitute for baking cookies during the festive seasons can replace other fats with palm oil.

As you cannot tell the difference, palm oil can be an excellent and easy way to help improve health, and still maintain the same taste.

 http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2012/4/8/health/10968865&sec=health


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Palm Oil Protects Your Brain

Study shows tocotrienols in palm oil protect brain cells

In a study published in the prestigious Journal of Biological Chemistry (April 2000), researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found that tocotrienols, especially alpha-tocotrienol, protects glutamate-induced death of neuronal cells (brain cells). This study also provided the first evidence describing the molecular basis of tocotrienol action. Tocotrienols are a special, super potent form of vitamin E found in palm oil. 

There are two types of vitamin E. Tocopherol is the type we are most familiar with. Tocotrienol is the less common form that is found in abundance in palm oil. Each form of vitamin E has four subgroups designated by alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. Alpha-tocopherol is the most common form of vitamin E. It is the form we see in vitamin supplements and fortified foods. Alpha-tocotrienol is the most abundant form of vitamin E in palm oil. Researchers have found that alpha-tocotrienol from palm oil has up to 60 times the antioxidant activity as alpha-tocopherol.

Oxidative damage due to free radicals or reactive oxygen species has been implicated in age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s. In the pathogenesis of these diseases, oxidative damage may accumulate over a period of years, leading to massive neuronal loss. A major contributor to pathologic cell death within the nervous system is glutamate toxicity and appears to be mediated by reactive oxygen species. The induction of oxidative stress by excitatory amino acid such as glutamate has been demonstrated to be the primary cause of death of certain types of neuronal cells. Glutamate is used by researchers to induce neurological damage in lab studies. We get glutamate in our diet from monosodium glutamate (MSG), “natural flavoring” added to foods, and soy products, to mention a few.

In the study it was found that at low concentrations of tocotrienols were more effective than alpha-tocopherol (the common form of vitamin E) in preventing glutamate-induced brain cell death. At higher concentrations, the glutamate-induced neuronal cells not only recovered after 6 hours of glutamate treatment, the tocotrienols, and especially alpha-tocotrienol, provided complete protection against further loss of cell viability.

It was also interesting to note that among the tocotrienols (alpha and gamma fractions), the alpha-tocotrienol was more effective than gamma-tocotrienol in protecting the neuronal cells.

The researchers went on to study the protective effect of the free-form and esterified-form of alpha-tocotrienol in glutamate-induced death of neuronal cells. It was found that the free-form was preferentially absorbed by the cells and due to this preferential uptake of the free-form tocotrienol, it confers higher protection against glutamate-induced death of brain cells.

In order to explain the neuroprotective property of tocotrienols, the researchers looked at the involvement of signal transduction pathways in the glutamate-induced cell death. Studies have shown that inhibitors of protein-tyrosine kinase activity completely prevented glutamate-induced cell death. It was evident from the study that tocotrienols inhibited the activation of c-Src tyrosine kinase activity. Inhibition of c-Src kinase activity has significant implications and may explain other protective properties of tocotrienols. For example, studies have shown that many intracellular pathways can be stimulated upon Src activation and a variety of cellular consequences can result, including morphological and cell proliferation. One of them is human breast cancer. Increased in Src tyrosine kinase activity has been implicated in the progression of breast cancer. Mammary tumors and human skin tumors possess elevated c-Src tyrosine kinase activity. Because of the key involvement of Src kinase activity in various oncogenesis, inhibitors of these kinases are being studied as potential candidates for anti-cancer drugs. Tocotrienols with their ability to inhibit the activation of Src kinase activity holds potential as natural complimentary phytonutrient in preventing these cancers. However, more studies need to be carried out to confirm this effect.

In summary, this enlightening study demonstrated that naturally occurring tocotrienols especially alpha-tocotrienol may be an effective natural phytonutrient in preventing age-related neurodegenerative disease and certain type of c-Src kinase-mediated cancers. Palm oil has the highest level of alpha-tocotrienol. Even though the study was carried out in cultured neuronal cells, it nevertheless showed promising results in the protection of these cells. 

There are several possible interpretations of this study. Some scientists think that we need actual human trials to confirm the effect of tocotrienols in preventing age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Previous studies have shown that the ordinary form of vitamin E (tocopherols) confer protection against Alzheimer’s disease. Tocotrienol from palm oil has shown to be even better at protecting neuronal cells. While it is important to get clinical studies, it is unreasonable for those people who could benefit, to wait for 5 or 10 years for the results of studies, when they can do something right now. The evidence from this study and many other studies is good enough to start using palm oil to take advantage of its protective tocotrienols. There is no compelling reason not to.

For further information and studies showing the neuroprotective and anticancer effects of palm oil read The Palm Oil Miracle by Dr. Bruce Fife, available at www.piccadillybooks.com or www.amazon.com.

This website is for informational purposes only, and is educational in nature. Statements made here have not been evaluated by the FDA. Nothing stated on this website is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/po-protects-your-brain-article.htm


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Vitamin E: Super Antioxidant We Only Thought We Knew
  
ProHealth.com
by Karen Lee Richards*
March 23, 2011

Surprisingly there are really two types of vitamin E, and both are potent disease fighters - if kept apart.Discovered in 1922, vitamin E has long been known as a powerful antioxidant. In recent years, however, one particular form of vitamin E - tocotrienol - has been found to be especially effective in promoting lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, reducing arteriosclerosis, suppressing the growth of certain types of cancer in animal and cell line studies, and promoting overall cardiovascular and metabolic health.

We tend to think of vitamin E as a single entity. Actually though, vitamin E contains two subgroups - tocopherols (toe KOF er ols) and tocotrienols (toe co TREE en ols). Each group consists of four separate molecules - alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. So all together, vitamin E is a family of eight different nutrients.

The Tale Is in the Tail

Both types of vitamin E, tocopherols and tocotrienols, are good antioxidant molecules that fight disease-causing free radicals. But there is a distinct difference in how they work. That difference lies in the molecules' tails.

• Tocopherols have long, stiff tails that anchor them in the cell membrane,

• While tocotrienols have short, flexible tails that allow them to move around the cell freely and enable them to neutralize free radicals more effectively. In fact, tocotrienols have been found to be 40 to 60 times more potent as antioxidants than tocopherols.

Noted biochemist and food scientist Barrie Tan, PhD, likes to explain the difference between tocopherols and tocotrienols by comparing them to local police and state troopers. Both go after bad guys, but the jurisdiction of the local police is limited to the town boundaries, while the state troopers can cover the entire state.

In the same way, tocopherols and tocotrienols both go after free radicals, but tocopherols are limited to the cell membrane in which they are anchored, while tocotrienols can cover a much larger area.

Discovering a Rich Source of Tocotrienols

In 2000, Dr. Tan went to South America to investigate plant pigments. While in one of the rainforests, he came across the bright red annatto plant. Dr. Tan noticed that the annatto moved, turning its pods toward the sun. This is uncommon for plants of this color because the sun's UV rays would normally damage them. He began to wonder what was in the annatto plant that protected it.

Dr. Tan soon discovered that the annatto's secret was its rich concentration of tocotrienols. Not only does the annatto contain 90% delta-tocotrienols (the most active form) and 10% gamma-tocotrienols, but it has no tocopherols. In fact annatto was the first, and as of yet the only, source of tocotrienols ever found that does not also contain tocopherols.

Why is finding a tocotrienol source that does not contain tocopherols important?

Because in 1996, researchers found that tocopherols interfered with the absorption and metabolism of tocotrienols in the body, blocking their cholesterol-lowering effects. This interference was confirmed in 2010 by a Japanese group which found that alpha-tocopherol interfered with delt-tocotrienol's cancer-suppressing benefits. (1, 1A) Until Dr. Tan's discovery, rice and palm oil had the highest known concentrations of tocotrienols, but both also contain significant amounts of tocopherols.

Health Benefits of Tocotrienols

Ongoing research is revealing a number of exciting health benefits from tocotrienols.

Lowering LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides. Statin drugs lower cholesterol by inhibiting HMG CoA reductase (HMGR), the enzyme responsible for cholesterol production. Tocotrienols also inhibit HMGR, by downregulating and degrading the enzyme, but without the negative effects caused by statins.

In addition to inhibiting cholesterol production, statins also inhibit the production of Coenzyme Q10, which is essential to the proper functioning of our mitochondria - the energy powerhouses of our cells. Tocotrienols, by contrast, do not interfere at all with CoQ10 production.

The ability of tocotrienols to inhibit HMGR and reduce cholesterol was first demonstrated in 1992 in a study done by Bristol-Myers Squibb.(2) It was revalidated in a 2006 study conducted at the University of Texas.(3) According to Dr. Tan, “This is an unequivocal proof that tocotrienol reduces cholesterol synthesis [production].”

The next question became, what is the maximum dose of tocotrienols needed for optimal cholesterol-lowering effect?

In a 2002 study, 90 individuals with high cholesterol were administered 25, 50, 100, or 200 mg/day of tocotrienols in combination with a heart-healthy diet. The researchers found that 100 mg/day provided the maximum benefit, lowering LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol levels by 25% and triglycerides by 12%. No additional benefit was found at higher doses.(4)

Preventing Atherosclerosis. Tocotrienols inhibit the development of adhesion molecules – the sticky substances produced in the arteries during the early stages of atherosclerosis. Adhesion molecules act much like fly-paper, collecting circulating blood cells and contributing to plaque buildup and inflammation. By reducing the stickiness, tocotrienols have the potential to stop or possibly reverse the development of atherosclerosis.

This was demonstrated in a 1995 landmark study of 50 people with atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries. The treatment half of the group received 240 mg of tocotrienol along with 60 mg of alpha-tocopherol, while the control half were given a placebo. By the end of the study:

• In 88% of the treatment group arterial plaque had either stabilized or been reduced.

• Only 8% of the control group had stabilized, and approximately 60% showed an increase in plaque buildup.(5)

Two additional studies, one in Hawaii(6) and one in Japan,(7) not only confirmed that tocotrienols inhibit adhesion molecules, but also found that tocotrienols may be 30 times more effective against these molecules than tocopherols.

Anticancer Activity. An especially exciting area of tocotrienol research is cancer prevention and treatment. In animal studies, delta- and gamma-tocotrienols were shown to inhibit tumors of the breast, prostate, lung, liver, pancreas and skin.

Tocotrienols appear to help fight cancer by:

• Interfering with the process tumor cells use to multiply.

• Inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death).

• Neutralizing the chemical that stimulates the development of new blood vessels that are needed for the tumor to grow (anti-angiogenesis).

The Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida is currently conducting Phase I clinical trials using delta-tocotrienol in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest of all cancers. Of the 35,000 Americans who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, 95% do not survive beyond 6-12 months. Moffitt researchers have already found that in cell lines and animal studies, delta-tocotrienol inhibited pancreatic tumor growth, blocked malignant transformation and induced apoptosis.(8)

Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome. Because the progress of atherosclerosis is more rapid in type 2 diabetics than in the general population, they are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. A 2005 study confirmed the beneficial effects of tocotrienol on type 2 diabetes - total lipids were reduced by 23%, total cholesterol was reduced by 30% and LDL cholesterol came down by 42%.(9)

Eye Health. The ability of tocotrienols to neutralize the chemical that stimulates the development of new blood vessels in tumors also may inhibit the growth of blood vessels associated with diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

Which Type(s) of Vitamin E Should You Take?

Since tocotrienols seem to provide such superior benefits, the logical question is 'Do I need to take tocopherols at all?' Most experts agree that it is still important to take a mixture of the four tocopherols in addition to tocotrienol because they provide excellent antioxident protection against free radicals.

ProHealth offers both types of Vitamin E:

• ExcellentE™ – pure, natural delta-tocotrienol from the annatto plant.

• Vitamin E with Mixed Tocopherols – a balanced blend of the four tocopherols.

The key is not to take the two types of vitamin E together.

They should be taken at least six hours apart and with food to get the best absorption in the intestinal tract. For maximum benefit, take Vitamin E with Mixed Tocopherols in the morning with breakfast and ExcellentE with your evening meal.

Dr. Tan recommends taking the tocotrienols in the evening. The reason? The body's cholesterol production peaks after midnight, so tocotrienol levels would peak in the blood when they are most needed.

Need-to-Know Info

Dosage: The recommended dose of tocotrienols varies depending on why you are taking them. For cholesterol-lowering benefits, cardiovascular health, and eye health, 100 mg a day seems to be sufficient. A specific dosage has not yet been set for anticancer purposes; however, preliminary studies indicate the most effective dosage may be in the 200-400 mg range.

Contraindications: Both forms of vitamin E inhibit blood clotting, so you should consult your doctor before taking them if you are taking blood-thinning drugs or are at risk of prolonged bleeding.

In Summary...

Both forms of vitamin E - tocopherols and tocotrienols - are important antioxidants that help prevent disease and promote overall health. Tocotrienols in particular are proving to be especially powerful nutrients for promoting cardiovascular health and possibly preventing devastating diseases like cancer.

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* * Karen Lee Richards is Lead Expert specializing in Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS, for HealthCentral's ChronicPainConnection (www.chronicpainconnection.com). Karen is co-founder of the National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) and was Executive Editor of Fibromyalgia AWARE magazine for four years.

References:

1. Qureshi AA, et al. Dietary alpha-tocopherol attenuates the impact of gamma-tocotrienol on hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity in chickens. J Nutr. 1996 Feb;126(2):389-94.
Download full text pdf: http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=8632210)

1A. Shibata A, Nakagawa K, et al. Alpha-Tocopherol attenuates the cytotoxic effect of delta-tocotrienol in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. Bichem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 Jun 25;397(2):214-9.

2. Pearce BC, et al. Hypocholesterolemic activity of synthetic and natural tocotrienols. J Med Chem. 1992 Oct 2;35(20):3595-606.

3. Song BL, DeBose-Boyd RA. (Full text) Insig-dependent ubiquitination and degradation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme a reductase stimulated by delta- and gamma-tocotrienols. J Biol Chem. 2006 Sep 1;281(35):25054-61. Epub 2006 Jul 10.

4. Qureshi AA, et al. Dose-dependent suppression of serum cholesterol by tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF25) of rice bran in hypercholesterolemic humans. Atherosclerosis. 2002 Mar;161(1):199-207.

5. Tomeo AC, et al. Antioxidant effects of tocotrienols in patients with hyperlipidemia and carotid stenosis. Lipids. 1995 Dec;30(12):1179-83.

6. Theriault A, et al. Tocotrienol is the most effective vitamin E for reducing endothelial expression of adhesion molecules and adhesion to monocytes. Atherosclerosis. 2002 Jan;160(1):21-30.

7. Naito Y, et al. Tocotrienols reduce 25-hydroxycholesterol-induced monocyte-endothelial cell interaction by inhibiting the surface expression of adhesion molecules. Atherosclerosis. 2005 May;180(1):19-25. Epub 2005 Jan 12.

8. Husain K, et al. (Full text) Vitamin E delta-tocotrienol levels in tumor and pancreatic tissue of mice after oral administration. Pharmacology. 2009;83(3):157-63. Epub 2009 Jan 13.

9. Baliarsingh S, et al. The therapeutic impacts of tocotrienols in type 2 diabetic patients with hyperlipidemia. Atherosclerosis. 2005 Oct;182(2):367-74.

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Note: This information has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is general and is not intended to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any illness, condition, or disease. It is very important that you make no change in your healthcare plan or health support regimen without researching and discussing it in collaboration with your professional healthcare team.

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=15996


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How you can benefit from healthful oils

November 16, 2011

The Baltimore Sun

Each week a nutritionist from the University of Maryland Medical Center provides a guest post on healthy eating . This week, Debra Schulze writes about benefits of oils.

Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature and come from many different plants and fish. While not a food group, they provide essential nutrients.

Fats and oils can be categorized as saturated fatty acids (solid at room temperature) and unsaturated fatty acids (liquid at room temperature), which include monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Some common oils include canola, corn, cottonseed, olive, safflower, peanut, soybean and sunflower. Others that are used for flavoring include walnut and sesame oil. Oils from plant sources do not contain cholesterol, but some are high in saturated fat, such as coconut, palm and palm kernel oil. Examples of saturated fats include butter, milk fat, animal fats, stick margarine, shortening and partially hydrogenated oil.

Following all the recent reports of trans fats and their contribution to increased risk of heart disease and certain cancers, consumers are looking for healthier fats and oils to incorporate into their diets. Trans-fatty acids are created by converting unsaturated fatty acids (oils) to saturated fats. It is recommended that you decrease the amounts of saturated and trans-fatty acids in your diet since they may raise your cholesterol and put you at higher risk for heart disease.

On the other hand, consuming foods high in unsaturated fatty acids may offer health benefits, including lowering your total and LDL or “bad” cholesterol. They may also help normalize blood clotting, according to Mayo Clinic, and some research shows they may also benefit insulin levels and improve blood sugar control.

Pick your oil carefully

Oils are a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, but you must choose them carefully. Sources of healthy monounsaturates attracting attention include olive, avocado, peanut, pistachio and grapeseed oils, as well as oil from walnuts, almond and hazelnuts. Like olive oil, these oils have unique flavors that add to their attraction.

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are two main classes of polyunsaturated fatty acids and are considered essential because our bodies cannot make them. Flaxseeds are a rich plant source of omega-3 fatty acids and also contain omega-6 fatty acids, making them a healthy choice. This oil contains alpha-linolenic acid, which is being researched for its potential to reduce conditions such as stroke, certain cancers and skin ailments.

Extra virgin and virgin olive oil contain high levels of polyphenols, an antioxidant that may reduce the effects of aging on the body.

How much do I need?

Since oils contain essential fatty acids, there is an allowance in the food guide. Recommendations are based on a person’s age, sex and level of physical activity, and they can range from 3-6 teaspoons of oils per day or 28 percent to 30 percent of daily calories. Most oils contain about 120 calories per tablespoon.

As you plan your meals, keep in mind that other foods consumed can provide adequate oils, such as nuts, fish, cooking oils and salad dressings. It has been determined that some oil is needed for health, so try to include a variety in your daily diet.

Posted by Kim Walker at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Nutrition

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/health/fitness/2011/11/how_you_can_benefit_from_healt_1.html