Different types of Vitamin E

[ptich]

Based on Wikipedia, the following is known about Vitamin E:

1. Vitamin E is a collective name of 8 different substances
2. "Vitamin E" sold in drugstores is mostly only one of them - Alpha Tocopherol
3. Alpha Tocopherol is thought to be an antioxidant, thought it is not accepted by everybody
4. Another type of Vitamin E - Gamma Tocotrienol - is thought to have a special role in protecting neurons from damage

So it looks like that it may make more sense to take Gamma Tocotrienol form of Vitamin E. Is anybody taking it ? If yes - where do you buy it ?

 

[Al]

I take mixed tocopherols. Gamma, delta and alpha. Was told they were best. Get them at GNC or any good health store.

AL.

 

[John1]

Ptich, I found the tocotrienol vs tocopherol argument convincing too. For the past couple of years I've been getting a supplement which is a blend of tocopherols and tocotrienols. The pills are large and much more expensive than the regular vitamin E which is just a mixture of alpha, beta, delta and gamma tocopherols.

No doubt you can find various sources for them. I get them from an on-line source in the US where they cost $45 for 120 horse-choking capsules.

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/SWU209/ItemDetail

John

 

[trying to stay positive]

Yes, mixed tocopheryls are the best, but at the very least, take the d-Alpha as opposed to the dl-alpha. They are better absorbed by the body.

 

[John1]

Here's a link to an abstract from a French paper discussing the effectiveness of tocotrienols vs tocopherols. It's findings are similar to others in the field which basically suggest that tocopherols are relatively ineffective as a neuroprotectant while tocotrienols are effective.The terminology of vitamin E is confusing for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that tocotrienols were formerly called tocopherols! Here's a bit from the abstract.

"Recently, we have observed that α-tocotrienol is multi-fold more potent than α-tocopherol in protecting HT4 and primary neuronal cells against toxicity induced by glutamate as well as by a number of other toxins. At nanomolar concentration, tocotrienol, but not tocopherol, completely protected neurons by an antioxidant-independent mechanism."

It can be found in it's entirety at:

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=16595468

 

[ptich]

Thnaks for your replies. I already ordered mixed tocopherols / tocotrienols from Life Extension:

http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item00559/Gamma-E-Tocopherol-Tocotrienols.html

But I am still not sure - the knowledge seems to be so spotty in this area (as well as in neurology in general, unfortunately), that I am afraid these things may cause harm just as likely as any good... Did you actually try to go on / off for long periods of time, and noticed any difference ? I started vitamins C + standard E 3 times, but the first two times I was getting strong fasciculations within a few hours of taking them, so I kept quitting; the 3d time I saw no negative effect (and no positive either), so now I am taking them. The dosage is pretty small, 500mg C + 200 IU of standard E.

 

[Zaphoon]

Didn't Lou Gehrig's wife believe that vitamin E was important? It seems I read somewhere where she made sure Lou was litteraly doused with the vitamin.

Anyone with any knowledge on this?

Zaphoon

 

[ptich]

All I read is that Lou Gehrig was getting vitamin E injections (or at least he was receiving then new vitamin E in ampuls). But his health clearly started declining much faster after the diagnosed, so E did not seem to help at the very least.

 

[DeeMichelle]

My Aunty had Vitamin E injections too a couple of decades ago to no avail.
Dx