Annatto Tocotrienol plus Resveratrol may improve cardiometabolic risk in MetS: RCT

20-Dec-2022 - Last updated on 20-Dec-2022 at 15:25 GMT

Vitamin E Tocotrienols are derived from three major sources: rice, palm, and annatto (pictured). Image © domsender / Getty Images

A combination of delta-tocotrienol from annatto improved cardiometabolic risk factors, including central obesity and blood pressure, suggest findings from a randomized clinical study.

Twenty-four weeks of supplementation with the combination supplement led to reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, body weight, and improvements in blood lipid levels, report scientists from the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) in Pakistan.

Writing in Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, the researchers also noted that the combination of delta-tocotrienol (DeltaGold by American River Nutrition) at a dosage of 500mg per day and resveratrol at a dosage of 300mg per day led to improvements in a range of markers of inflammation.

“The current TRM [δ-tocotrienol and resveratrol mixture] clinical trial is pioneering in the field to report the favorable synergistic effects of two nutrients on MetS and individual components in adults,” they wrote.

“TRM is recommended to be used in early diagnosed MetS patients for the prevention of associated complications. Thus, this TRM supplementation improves the health of adults with MetS.”

“A simple solution”

Vitamin E is a family of eight separate but related molecules: four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and four tocotrienols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta). Tocotrienols are derived from three major sources, including rice, palm and annatto.

Commenting on the research, Dr. Barrie Tan, President of American River Nutrition, said that delta-tocotrienol has been previously shown to reduce complications related to dyslipidemia, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in various clinical trials.

“This study is the first to show the combo formulation of delta-tocotrienol and resveratrol to provide a simple solution to a complex metabolic syndrome condition,” said Dr Tan.

“These nutrients in tandem provide unique metabolic benefits that include weight loss, inflammation and oxidation control for improved vascular function, and a modest but consistent blood pressure reduction, all while being particularly suitable for younger adults.”

Study details

The NUMS scientists recruited 82 people (aged between 18 and 60) with metabolic syndrome (MetS), a condition characterized by central obesity, hypertension, and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism. The syndrome has been linked to increased risks of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either the delta-tocotrienol-resveratol combination or placebo for six months.

The results showed that the combination supplement led to improvements in all five risk areas: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were reduced by 5.2% and 5.8%, respectively; waist circumference decreased by 3.7% in males and 4.6% in females, and this was associated with an average weight loss of 9.3lbs (4.6%).

The supplement was also linked to a 16% drop in triglycerides, while HDL increased by 4% in males and 5.1% in females.

Improvements in markers of inflammation and oxidation stress were also reported, with CRP, IL-6, and TNF-alpha decreasing by a significant 15%, 15%, and 17%, respectively, while adiponectin increased by 11%.

Malondialdehyde, a marker of oxidative stress, decreased by 7.5%. On the other hand, total antioxidant status improved by 23%, said the researchers.

Additionally, a significant decrease of 27% in vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM) was also reported, which indicated an improvement of endothelial dysfunction that affects atherosclerosis.

The effects of tocotrienol and resveratrol supplementation on metabolic syndrome-related clinical markers were particularly notable for young adults (18-43 years old).

“TRM supplementations improved cardiometabolic risk factors and biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress without any significant side effects in the patients with MetS,” concluded the researchers.

Source: Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1089/met.2022.0052
“d-Tocotrienol in Combination with Resveratrol Improves the Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Biomarkers in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial”
Authors: S. Fatima, et al.