Vitamin E

There are eight different vitamin E’s, 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols. It has been suggested that tocotrienols have between 30 and 60 times the antioxidant value of tocopherols. One double blind human study reported a dramatic reduction in cholesterol oxidation over 12 months with the administration of 200 mg per day of tocotrienols. It is reported that there was even a reduction in the size of the atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery with the use of this dosage level.

A common dosage would be between 400 and 800 international units per day.

1.       Suarna C, Hood RL, Dean RT, Stocker R. Comparative antioxidant activity of tocotrienols and other natural lipid-soluble antioxidants in a homogeneous system, and in rat and human lipoproteins. Biochim Biophys Acta 1993;1166:163–70.

2.       Tomeo AC, Geller M, Watkins TR, et al. Antioxidant effects of tocotrienols in patients with hyperlipidemia and carotid stenosis. Lipids 1995;30:1179–83.