“Vitamin E (gamma tocopherol)?”Here!gamma-tocopherol
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As a supplement
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One of eight naturally occurring forms of vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin family. Gamma-tocopherol is the most common form of vitamin E in the American diet from foods like soybean and corn oil, but it is distinct from alpha-tocopherol, the form most studied and used to set official vitamin E intake recommendations.
Why it’s used
Taken as a source of vitamin E activity and antioxidant support, sometimes marketed as complementary to or distinct from alpha-tocopherol supplements.
What the evidence says
According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E's established biological roles and recommended intakes are based primarily on alpha-tocopherol. Gamma-tocopherol has different metabolic handling and has been studied for potentially different antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but human evidence specific to gamma-tocopherol supplementation is much more limited and does not support the same conclusions as those established for alpha-tocopherol.
Context
Because official vitamin E intake values (RDA, upper limit) are defined in terms of alpha-tocopherol, they do not directly apply to gamma-tocopherol taken alone.
Rumors
Gamma-tocopherol supplements lower the risk of heart attack and stroke.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
How we know who this is
- “Life Extension is a privately owned vitamin and supplement company.” (their page)
- Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
Gamma-tocopherol lowers prostate cancer risk.
Sources cited — check not cleared.
Measured as an outcome.
- Serum α-Tocopherol and γ-Tocopherol Concentrations and Prostate Cancer Risk in the PLCO Screening Trial: A Nested Case-Control Study (Peer-reviewed) · Funded by National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, DHHS (government) · No conflicts declared
Who’s saying this
- Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
How we know who this is
- “Life Extension is a privately owned vitamin and supplement company.” (their page)
Gamma-tocopherol protects against Alzheimer's disease.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
How we know who this is
- “Life Extension is a privately owned vitamin and supplement company.” (their page)
- Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
Gamma-tocopherol supplements reduce airway inflammation in people with asthma.
Unresolvedhealth and safety evidence
Studied in: adults with mild asthma.
Measured as a biomarker.
- Gamma tocopherol-enriched supplement reduces sputum eosinophilia and endotoxin-induced sputum neutrophilia in volunteers with asthma (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
- Short course gamma tocopherol did not mitigate effects of ozone on airway inflammation in asthmatics (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
- Vitamin E and D regulation of allergic asthma immunopathogenesis (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- Futurity — a publisher: research news funded by member universities to showcase their research
How we know who this is
- “Futurity posts and amplifies content submitted by university partners: news stories, interviews with faculty, podcasts, and stand-alone videos.” (their page)
- “With 47 member universities supporting the project today—including universities from the US, Europe, and Asia—Futurity exists to showcase the real-world impact of sponsored research.” (their page)
Gamma-tocopherol supplements reduce inflammation, more powerfully than alpha-tocopherol.
Does not support — suggestivehealth and safety evidence
Studied in: mice and humans with allergic asthma/atopic lung inflammation.
Measured as an outcome.
- Vitamin E and D regulation of allergic asthma immunopathogenesis (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
- Vitamin E, γ-tocopherol, reduces airway neutrophil recruitment after inhaled endotoxin challenge in rats and in healthy volunteers (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
How we know who this is
- “Life Extension is a privately owned vitamin and supplement company.” (their page)