Good Alpha/Gamma Tocopherol Ratio in Vitamin E Supplements

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If one takes a vitamin E supplement that contains only alpha tocopherol, serum gamma tocopherol decreases, and that condition is associated with health problems. So it's better to take a vitamin E supplement which has all the 4 tocopherols, to not deplete the ones not included in the supplement.

What's a good ratio of alpha and gamma tocopherol in a vitamin E supplement?

People tend to naturally have a 4:1 serum ratio of alpha to gamma tocopherol, even if they consume more gamma tocopherol than alpha tocopherol in their diets. Taking a supplement of alpha tocopherol changes that ratio so that there is more than four units of alpha tocopherol per unit of gamma tocopherol.

Thus, I think a criterion to judge a mixed tocopherols vitamin E supplement, whether it's higher in alpha or gamma tocopherol, is to observe what its effects are on the serum ratio of alpha and gamma tocopherol. If the ratio is close to 4 to 1, then from the serum vitamin E perspective, it's a good supplement.
 
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Re: Good Alpha/Gamma Tocopherol Ratio in Vitamin E Supplemen

Some people thought that since the body keeps more alpha tocopherol, gamma tocopherol is not important. But considering that higher levels of gamma tocopherol seem to prevent prostate cancer, maybe the gamma tocopherol does have an important role.

Perhaps the reason the body only keeps gamma tocopherol in an amount that is only a fourth of the amount of alpha tocopherol it keeps, is that gamma tocopherol is more potent than alpha tocopherol. That said, perhaps taking gamma tocopherol alone would be a bad idea, as different antioxidants are believed to act in different situations. But maybe it wouldn't be as harmful, because rats who get gamma tocopherol only are able to convert it to alpha tocopherol.
 
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Re: Good Alpha/Gamma Tocopherol Ratio in Vitamin E Supplemen

As someone who uses vitamin E (mixed tocopherols), I'd take any supplement whose amount of gamma is 25% or more its amount of alpha, and whose beta and delta together are 5% or more its amount of alpha (the maximum delta tocopherol possible in serum is 2.5% of the maximum of alpha in rats).
 

Wilfrid

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Re: Good Alpha/Gamma Tocopherol Ratio in Vitamin E Supplemen

Very interesting topic!
Some of the most popular manufacturer of vitamin E are hiding their product's ratio through the " our own proprietary blend of tocopherol" thing....
That being said, based on the 4:1 ratio, the carlson E gems product seems to be a good choice.
Through your own experience do you have any particular brand/ product in mind?
Putting aside the Swanson E product with its high gamma content, AC Grace claims to have high-alpha as well as high-gamma but they're hiding their ratio.
After your experience with topically applied AC Grace E, I confirmed that I get too a positive reaction when using it this way.
Dr. Peat told me once that a good criteria to select a vitamin E was to check the I.U and the pill size, ie the highest concentration in the smallest pill would be best.
When I compared the pill size of the Swanson and AC Grace, the latter is much more compact than the former, despite the fact of having 400 U.I instead of 200 U.I.
The best product would certainly be a product with the 4:1 ratio like you mentionned with a very small pill .
 
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Re: Good Alpha/Gamma Tocopherol Ratio in Vitamin E Supplemen

The Unique E has a good ratio, even if you don't know the exact number. It has 266 mg of alpha, and 432 mg of the rest. Since beta and delta are typically lower, it would for sure have more gamma than 67 mg, and that would satisfy the at least 1:4 gamma to alpha ratio requirement.

I'm not yet completely satisfied with any vitamin E supplement. I can't vouch for anyone. Both Unique E and Swanson (this one I think due to its coloring) produced bad effects, even topically, after using it a lot at a moment when I wasn't in optimum shape. The Carlson E-Gems Plus seems good, but I didn't put it in the refrigerator and the heat destroyed it, so I need to be careful and try again before I can say I'm happy with it.

I'm not afraid of taking a supplement which has, instead of a fourth, a lot more gamma than alpha, because the body can keep the right ratio -which has more alpha- even when the gamma form is greater in the diet. The only thing that seems troublesome is excess alpha, so that's why I personally put a limit of 4:1 alpha to gamma.

Another reason why a high gamma supplement might be good is that apparently gamma tocopherol is destroyed by heat a lot more easily than alpha tocopherol. So when you buy it from the store, maybe it already has lower amounts of gamma tocopherol than listed.
 

Lin

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Re: Good Alpha/Gamma Tocopherol Ratio in Vitamin E Supplemen

I am taking NOW Gamma E complex, and just checked the ratios. Seems pretty good, as far as I can tell. But they give the amount of alpha in IU's and the others in mgs. ???
Here it is: Alpha 400 IU, gamma 300 mg, delta 80 mg, beta 5 mg. It also contains tocotrienols, which I hadn't heard of, but seems to be a selling point on the label. What do you think?
 
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j.

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Re: Good Alpha/Gamma Tocopherol Ratio in Vitamin E Supplemen

400 IU of alpha is 266 mg. Regarding the tocopherols, I think it's a good ratio.

Regarding tocotrienols, I'm more cautious, I think there is little knowledge about them, but I'm not really informed, maybe low doses are safe.

It's nice that the gamma complex you're using doesn't have added soybean oil.
 
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Re: Good Alpha/Gamma Tocopherol Ratio in Vitamin E Supplemen

max219 said:
I've been taking Swanson Maximum-Strength Gamma Tocopherol. http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson- ... l-30-sgels . What do you guys think of this one?

If my view it passes the test if the amount of gamma is at least 25% the amount of alpha, so it definitely passes the test. If you don't react badly to the caramel color, I think it's a good supplement, but there were some reports of people receiving a somewhat watery product.
 

charlie

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Re: Good Alpha/Gamma Tocopherol Ratio in Vitamin E Supplemen

max219, I do good on the vitamin E. However, its a pretty big dose though. So something to keep in mind.
 

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