A well-balanced nutritional status is crucial for a healthy immune system. Sufficient intake of nutrients can support enhanced immune function, though many people globally are not receiving adequate levels from their diet.
Previous research has found that daily supplementation of 200 mg TRF or α-tocopherol didn’t significantly modulate immune response in healthy individuals in the absence of any immunological challenge.1
However, in a subsequent study, when healthy individuals were supplemented with 400 mg palm TRF daily and exposed to an immunological challenge in the form of tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccination, their immune response to the TT vaccine was significantly higher than those who were not supplemented.2
A novel study into the benefits of palm TRF
With this conflicting information, a novel study aims to explore the effectiveness of daily supplementation with lower doses of palm TRF (200, 100, or 50 mg) on immune response after an immunological challenge such as a vaccine.
In this single-centre, parallel, double-blinded and placebo-controlled study, researchers recruited healthy volunteers and randomly assigned to one of the five groups, each consisting of 30 volunteers.
The volunteers are required to attend three clinic sessions (days 0, 28 and 56), where blood samples will be taken to analyse the plasma antibody against influenza vaccine, cytokines and vitamin E levels, blood leucocyte profile, protein and gene expression studies.
They will be asked to take the supplement after dinner every day for 28 days before and 28 days after receiving an influenza vaccine while maintaining a balanced diet and exercise/activity routine.
The palm TRF used in this study, Tocovid Suprabio, is a registered supplement in Malaysia that is sold as an over-the-counter (OTC) supplement in major pharmacies and has been extensively studied clinically. Its active ingredient, EVNol is manufactured by ExcelVite.
This study protocol explains the materials and methods used and emphasises the objective of developing functional dose ranges. EVNol is a natural full spectrum tocotrienol/tocopherol complex with the highest ratio of α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocotrienol, as occurs in nature, extracted and concentrated from red palm fruits (Elaeis guineensis).
EVNol also contains minute amounts of other phytonutrients such as plant squalene, phytosterols, co-enzyme Q10 and mixed carotenoids that are naturally extracted together with tocotrienols, making it a natural and wholesome tocotrienol complex.
EVNol has received the generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status by the USA Food Development Authority (FDA).
References:
1 Radhakrishnan AK, Lee AL, Wong PF, et al.: Daily supplementation of tocotrienol-rich fraction or α-tocopherol did not induce immunomodulatory changes in healthy human volunteers. Brit. J. Nutri. 2009; 101(6): 810–815.
2 Mahalingam D, Radhakrishnan AK, Amom Z, et al.: Effects of supplementation with tocotrienol-rich fraction on immune response to tetanus toxoid immunization in normal healthy volunteers. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 2011; 65(1): 63–69.