Effect of a palm-oil-vitamin E concentrate on the serum and lipoprotein lipids in humans

Article Abstract:

The associations among dietary fat, blood cholesterol levels and heart disease have been well documented. Several studies have shown that high blood levels of cholesterol (especially low-density-lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol) are associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease, and the risk of heart disease may be lowered by reducing cholesterol levels. Previous studies have reported that palm oil, even though it is high in saturated fat, can reduce cholesterol levels, while other saturated fats do not do this. Unlike other saturated fats, palm oil is rich in tocopherols (compounds similar to vitamin E), and recent studies have indicated that these tocopherols may be responsible for producing the cholesterol-lowering effect of palm oil. The Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia has developed a capsule, called palmvitee, that contains tocopherols extracted from palm oil. In a recent study, palmvitee was shown to lower cholesterol levels in adults with hypercholesteremia (high blood cholesterol). This article describes the results of a study designed to evaluate the effects of palmvitee on blood cholesterol levels in two people with normal blood cholesterol levels (group 1), four with slightly elevated levels (group 2) and three with high levels (group 3). Blood cholesterol levels were measured before and after consuming one palmvitee capsule per day for 30 days. After the 30-day period, total and LDL cholesterol levels were reduced by 5 to 36 percent in all three groups. However, the largest reductions in cholesterol levels occurred in the subjects who had the highest cholesterol levels at the beginning of the study (group 3). A follow-up study was performed to determine the effect of 30 days of palmvitee capsules on the body weight of 22 male volunteers. Palmvitee did not alter body weight in any of the subjects tested. It is concluded that palmvitee reduces blood cholesterol levels and that the effect of palm oil on cholesterol levels is likely to result from tocopherols present in the oil. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Vitamin E, Palm oil

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Lowering of serum cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic humans by tocotrienols (palmvitee)

Article Abstract:

In the United States, coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of death. Many studies have documented the relationships between CAD and high blood cholesterol levels, and between high blood cholesterol levels and dietary fat. Studies have shown that the risk of CAD can be reduced by reducing the amount of cholesterol (especially low-density-lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol) in the blood, and that this can be achieved by reducing dietary fat intake. Tocotrienols (compounds that occur naturally in some foods) from rice, oats and palm oil have been shown to lower cholesterol levels in animals. Other studies have shown that palmvitee (tocotrienols extracted from palm oil) can reduce cholesterol levels in animals with hypercholesterolemia (elevated blood cholesterol). To evaluate the effect of palmvitee on cholesterol levels in humans, 25 people with hypercholesterolemia were given daily supplements of palmvitee (200 milligrams/day in capsule form). The study was performed in two four-week sessions. Fifteen of the subjects (group 1) received palmvitee for four weeks followed by four weeks of corn oil (300 milligrams/day in capsule form), while the other 10 subjects (group 2) received these treatments in the opposite order. After the first four weeks, blood cholesterol levels were reduced only in group 1. Palmvitee reduced total cholesterol by 15 percent and LDL cholesterol by 8 percent. Also, blood levels of alpha-tocotrienol for those in group 1 were 30 times greater than for those in group 2 at the end of the first four weeks. After the second four weeks, blood levels of cholesterol were reduced in group 2 to the same extent as in group 1 during the first four weeks. When seven people with hypercholesterolemia were given capsules containing gamma-tocotrienol (200 milligrams/day for four weeks), a component of palmvitee, cholesterol levels decreased by 31 percent. These findings indicate that tocotrienols may be beneficial for reducing cholesterol levels in people with hypercholesterolemia. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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