Vitamin E is comprised of two groups of molecules, tocopherols and tocotrienols, each with four forms (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol, and alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delat-tocotrienol). Research is beginning to focus on specific tocopherols and tocotrienols, rather than just "vitamin E." Nonetheless, the vitamin E most often referred to and sold in most stores is a synthetic form called dl-alpha-tocopherol.

Tocopherols, which are found in corn, soybeans and olive oil, were the preferred form of vitamin E because they have been widely accepted by the medical community as useful for reducing the risk of heart disease and other serious illness.

However, new research is beginning to emerge that says the tocotrienols, found in palm, rice bran and barley oils, could be the most important part of vitamin E, and a form of vitamin E called full-spectrum vitamin E, which contains a mixture of tocopherols (alpha, beta, delta, and gamma) and tocotrienols (alpha, beta, delta, and gamma), may be needed to protect against disease and provide maximum benefits.

For instance, one breast cancer study found that while standard alpha-tocopherol vitamin E supplements did not appear to reduce breast cancer rates, women who consumed foods rich in other forms of vitamin E reduced their risk of breast cancer by as much as 90 percent. Other studies have also found that tocotrienols inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Further, studies have shown the antioxidant effects of tocotrienols to be 40 to 60 times more effective than alpha tocopherol. Tocotrienols have also been shown to reduce the risk of stroke by reversing atherosclerosis, and to reduce the level of LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Tocotrienols and tocopherols are similar in chemical structure, but tocotrienols are more unsaturated, which means they are more mobile and more reactive, while tocopherols tend to cluster.

While I have believed in vitamin E for over 30 years and have been taking it for many of those years, there is clearly some controversy here as to what type of vitamin E is best, and the more I study health, the more I realize we don't know. So it all boils down to the basics again. Eat a healthy diet with minimal grains and sugars, as outlined in the No-Grain Diet, and eat foods that are as pure as possible. Ideally, it would also be beneficial to eat for your Metabolic Type. Reviewing my nutrition plan is a great way to get started.

If you do decide to take vitamin E, it would be wise to get a full-spectrum variety to ensure you are getting all eight of the naturally occurring isomers that vitamin E has to offer. Additionally, since vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, if you take it on an empty stomach very little will be absorbed into your bloodstream. It is best to take vitamin E with a fat-containing food such as fish oil.

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