New Paper:Low vit and carotenoid lvls are related to lesions

[daniel]

Low vitamin and carotenoid levels are related to cerebral white matter lesions

Abstract:
Objectives:
Purpose: To determine the effects of vitamins and carotenoids on brain white matter lesions (WMLs), we examined the associations between WMLs with vitamin and carotenoid levels in Japanese middle-aged and elderly subjects. Subjects and methods: Four-hundred and sixty-nine healthy participants (male = 317; female = 152) that underwent medical examinations were examined. Deep white matter lesions (DWLs) were detected via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 39 subjects. We evaluated the effects of vitamin and carotenoid levels on DWLs via logistic regression analysis.

Results: Lower gamma-tocopherol levels were significantly associated with DWLs in all subjects. While lower gamma-tocopherol and vitamin C levels were significantly associated with DWLs in males, lower delta-tocopherol levels were associated with DWLs in females. The associations between DWLs and lower gamma- and delta-tocopherol and vitamin C levels were independent of age, hypertension, or smoking. However, the associations between DWLs and lower alfa- tocopherol were not significant following adjustments for smoking. Conclusion: Lower carotenoid and vitamin levels were independently associated with cerebral DWLs in Japanese subjects.

Story: http://sciencealerts.com/stories/211066 ... sions.html


Paper:
http://link.springer.com/article/10.100 ... 012-0419-z (html)
http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10 ... 012-0419-z (pdf)

Anyone know causes of lower levels of tocopherol?

[daniel]

related: http://www.thisisms.com/forum/natural-a ... l?uid=4852

[Cece]

I always have to learn new words around here...
Tocopherols:

Tocopherols (or TCP) are a class of chemical compounds of which many have vitamin E activity. It is a series of organic compounds consisting of various methylated phenols. Because the vitamin activity was first identified in 1936 from a dietary fertility factor in rats, it was given the name "tocopherol" from the Greek words "τόκος" [birth], and "φέρειν", [to bear or carry] meaning in sum "to carry a pregnancy," with the ending "-ol" signifying its status as a chemical alcohol.

alpha-Tocopherol is the main source found in supplements and in the European diet, where the main dietary sources are olive and sunflower oils,[1] while gamma-tocopherol is the most common form in the American diet due to a higher intake of soybean and corn oil.[1][2]

Tocotrienols, which are related compounds, also have vitamin E activity. All of these various derivatives with vitamin activity may correctly be referred to as "vitamin E". Tocopherols and tocotrienols are fat-soluble antioxidants but also seem to have many other functions in the body.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tocopherol

I would imagine causes of low tocopherol would be dietary?

[daniel]

I believe it's related to vitamin E intake (or maybe it IS vitamin E?)

Just checked wikipedia:

Vitamin E refers to a group of eight fat-soluble compounds that include both tocopherols and tocotrienols.
-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_E

[jimmylegs]

gamma tocopherol is a vit e fraction that is driven down when people take the isolated alpha-tocopherol fraction - alpha tocopherol is your standard run of the mill off the shelf vit e supplement. taking it puts the body's natural ratio out of whack. by driving down the relative amount of gamma tocopherol you can increase cancer risk (ref SELECT study). so you have to be careful with dose and type of supplement. hence i go on about natural source E8 complex as an appropriate supplement. but of course food is always best, there are no cases i have read about or heard of regarding vit e toxicity from food. but synthetics/isolates in supplements, yep those can be sketchy.

[1eye]

So then are common-or-garden variety E tablets making people have more risk of lesions by down-regulating gamma-tocopherols?

[Bethr]

That seems to be what they are saying.
Delta tocopherol seems to be in vegetable oils, canola, soya, and nuts.
I went and read some other studies on tocopherols in prostrate cancer and
it had the same findings. Men were more likely to get prostrate cancer if they
took the alpha tocopherol!
Does anyone know if you can supplement Delta Toco.?
I can't seem to find anything on it. Vitamin E supplements all seem to be alpha or a mix.

[1eye]

I had read that monounsaturated fats (canola, olive, I think) were less prevalent in macaque brains with EAE than polyunsaturated ones, or something to that effect. The cancer link is kind of spooky too, given the apparent mutually exclusive duality between "MS" and many cancers.

[jimmylegs]

they don't seem to be saying anything about supplements in the quote above - i only see reference to measuring levels there, but i haven't looked at the full article. definitely other studies have found that isolated alpha tocopherol supps drive down the gamma fraction with increased risk of, in particular with the one study (SELECT), prostate cancer.

[Bethr]

I just followed the link from Danial above to the Natural forum which explains how to choose a good
vitamin E supplement and product. Obviously the regular old Vitamin E label just doesn't cover it anymore. You need the right balance of the 8 types of Tocopherols, as just the cheap Alpha can do damage in many ways on it's own. It makes me wonder what else we do to ourselves in our quest to heal ourselves!
I'm currently taking nothing. I'll just eat better I reckon. (I go through these stages )

[jimmylegs]

i've been using and recommending E8 complex for ages.. within the last yr or so i finally found an amazing multi that uses E8 complex w/ 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols. made by AOR.

i just finished my last bottle of 'new roots' E8 complex, a diff product i was using for yrs during the days my multi only contained alpha tocopherol.

sunflower seeds are notable dietary sources. almonds are decent too. plus your good ol' leafy greens.

[Bethr]

Thanks Jimmylegs.
I love sunflower seeds and almonds, so will include them in my diet more regularly.

[jimmylegs]

sounds good they're more (almonds) or less (sunflower seeds) anti inflammatory, but both higher on the O-6 side. if you want to balance the omega side of things out, walnuts have a somewhat better O-6 to O-3 balance (even though they are a bit pro inflammatory), and then of course you have good old flax seeds, which are both strongly anti inflammatory and high in O-3s relative to O-6s.

link to vit e content in various foods.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... t&dbid=111
eg 1/4c sunflower seeds has over half the daily recommended value (which is probably on the low side but still)

[jimmylegs]

hey guess what I recently looked up the vitamin e breakdown of various oils and learned that CORN OIL has the most even distribution of tocopherols and tocotrienols. i linked to it over in my regimen thread. then I went hunting for a non-GMO organic source and found a couple. I'd have to go back and have another look but I do recall that Spectrum was one of two suppliers I was able to track down. i'm in the process of asking the local grocery chain to bring some in.

[CureOrBust]

definitely other studies have found that isolated alpha tocopherol supps drive down the gamma fraction with increased risk of, in particular with the one study (SELECT), prostate cancer.

So, it seems (as a general statement) that our diets & supplements are high in alpha and low in gamma. And a high Alpha may drive down gamma.

So, do you know of any negative effects of having a high intake of gamma-tocopherol?