In End-Stage Renal Disease Patients, Will Tocotrienols From Palm Oil Impact Restless Legs Syndrome?

End-stage renal disease (ERSD) is the last stage of chronic kidney disease where the kidneys function at under 10% to 15% of their normal capacity. At this stage, kidneys cannot effectively remove waste or excess fluid from the blood system, and dialysis or a kidney transplant is necessary to live.

A team of researchers led by Pramod Khosla, PhD, associate professor of nutrition and food science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wayne State University, will study the effects of a daily supplement of a Tocotrienol-rich fraction from palm oil to see if it improves dyslipidemia, a disorder of lipoprotein metabolism that may be manifested by a decrease in the “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in patients with ESRD who are on hemodialysis. Tocotrienols are a form of Vitamin E and have been shown in recent years to have diverse health effects. In addition, Khosla’s team will explore the impact on symptoms such as inflammation and symptoms related to restless legs syndrome in the same cohort of patients.

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Wayne State researching effects of tocotrienols from palm oil in end-stage renal disease patients

DETROIT – End-stage renal disease (ERSD) is the last stage of chronic kidney disease where the kidneys function at under 10 to 15 percent of their normal capacity. At this stage, kidneys cannot effectively remove waste or excess fluid from the blood system, and dialysis or a kidney transplant is necessary to live.

A team of researchers led by Pramod Khosla, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition and food science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wayne State University, will study the effects of a daily supplement of a Tocotrienol-rich fraction from palm oil to see if it improves dyslipidemia, a disorder of lipoprotein metabolism that may be manifested by a decrease in the “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in patients with ESRD who are on hemodialysis. Tocotrienols are a form of Vitamin E and have been shown in recent years to have diverse health effects. In addition, Khosla’s team will explore the impact on symptoms such as inflammation and symptoms related to Restless Leg Syndrome in the same cohort of patients.

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Researched Skin Care Ingredients

Vitamin E is comprised of eight fat-soluble compounds (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocopherol, and alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocotrienol), with research showing  benefits to skin, especially from tocotrienols.

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The Truth About Natural Vitamin E (as opposed to other kinds)

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We are all afraid of losing our mind, and our memory. It’s scary to forget what you were just saying or where you put your glasses. No one is clear about what causes memory loss or neurodegenerative brain disorders, but we do know that fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin E support brain health.

Some people are actually (and sadly) afraid to take vitamin E because of a misleading study years ago that concluded vitamin E was bad for us. What a disservice that journalist did to spread the news about this famous study (which will go down in history as one of the most awful tricks to play on sick, vulnerable people)!

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Is your lunch consuming too much land? How palm oil stacks up

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Your sandwich may be harming the environment. A 2015 Dietary Guidelines’ scientific report states that the average American diet has a larger environmental impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use and energy use compared to a healthier, more plant-based diet. When it comes to land use, the answer is clear: Malaysia’s oil palm plantations. This eco-friendly country utilizes the smallest amount of land to meet much of the world’s vegetable oil needs. Less land use equals less deforestation.

What about the rest of the foods you eat? Discover how your typical American lunch stacks up.

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Moms hear that changing your cooking oil to benefit your health

cooking oil

Spring is a great time to make some changes to improve your health. As a holistic pharmacist, certified fitness instructor and health author, I offered suggestions to listeners of the nationally syndicated Mom Talk Radio. My advice: Use the right cooking oil for the job. Malaysian sustainable palm oil is the best option for cooking because it retains its nutritional value at high temperatures.

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Gamma-Tocotrienol Slows Diet-Induced Obesity and Improves Insulin Resistance in Animal Model

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Researchers from the University of Florida report that gamma-tocotrienol from red palm oil accumulates in adipose tissues, slowing down high-fat diet-induced obesity and improving insulin sensitivity in mice by inhibiting adipose inflammation.

In the new study, Dr. SK Chung and her team investigated the effects of gamma-tocotrienol on early onset obesity, inflammation, and insulin resistance in mice. The mice were randomly assigned to three different diet groups – low fat (LF), high fat (HF) with 60% calories from fat, or HF mixed with 0.05% gamma-tocotrienol, one of eight different compounds that make up natural vitamin E. Measurements of gamma-tocotrienol concentrations in blood and adipose tissue; effects of gamma-tocotrienol on body weight gain, adipose volume, fasting blood glucose, insulin level and various inflammatory biomarkers were recorded.

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Let Vitamin E Help Protect Your Brain

Vitamin E can help protect your brain.

Want to lower your risk of having another stroke? Protect your brain with Vitamin E.

Studies reveal that Vitamin E tocotrienol, a little known type of Vitamin E found naturally in palm oil, helps to support white brain matter and lower stroke risk.

Why White Matter Matters

Fifty percent of your brain is white matter and the health of your brain’s white matter affects how well your brain functions and learns.  Your brain’s white matter is also the area of the brain most affected by a stroke.

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Concerned about stroke? A two-year study finds that vitamin E from Malaysian palm oil helps to protect brain’s white matter

hile you may know about your brain’s gray matter, did you also know that about 50 percent of your brain is made of white matter? The health of your brain’s white matter affects how well it learns and functions. This is also the area of the brain most often affected by stroke. Now results of a two-year human clinical study published in the American Heart Association journal, Stroke, show that vitamin E tocotrienols derived from Malaysian palm oil supports white matter health by weakening the progression of white matter lesions.

This human study is exciting because it is the first that provides solid evidence of tocotrienols’ neuroprotective benefits in humans. It complements previous research in cell cultures and animal models funded by the National Institutes of Health that has shown that alpha tocotrienols may lessen stroke damage, and may help to accelerate recovery of functional loss.

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Crazy for Cranberries

Cranberries

With the holiday season upon us I seem to have cranberries on the brain, so it should come as no surprise that one of my all-time favorite ingredients happens to be Cranberry Seed Oil. Why am I so enamored with the oil from this super fruit? When the fruit is cold pressed the resulting oil is rich in tocopherols, tocotrienols (Vitamin E) and phytosterols (plant sterols). Vitamin E is really a family of eight different isomers consisting of 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols. The Vitamin E constituents found in Cranberry Seed Oils contain significant levels of alpha and gamma tocopherols and alpha and gamma tocotrienols. All of these isomers of Vitamin E provide excellent antioxidant protection and help to reinforce the barrier lipid properties of the skin.

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