KUALA LUMPUR: The government has more than doubled funding to test the benefits of palm oil derived vitamin E on humans.
Starting next year, the government, via Malaysian Palm Oil Board, will work together with teams of doctors in Malaysia, Singapore, the US and Australia to find out the effectiveness of palm oil vitamin E in preventing degenerative diseases.
"The human trials are going to cost us RM20 million. Six principal investigators will determine the effects of tocotrienols on stroke, cancer, diabetes and children who suffer from attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)," said Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.
Most people think vitamin E only comes in a single form, but there are actually eight -- four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Over the last 30 years, scientific studies have shown that tocotrienols, is a far more potent antioxidant than tocopherols.
Tocopherols are sourced from oilseeds such as soya oil, canola and sunflower, while tocotrienols are only available in high concentration in palm oil and rice bran oil.
Tocotrienols are able to help in body cell regeneration and more importantly, it can seek and kill cancerous cells. It is these unique biological activities in tocotrienols that show a promising future in finding cures for degenerative diseases like stroke and cancer.
One of the most important phytonutrients in edible oils is Vitamin E. Vitamin E is the generic name for the family of tocopherols and tocotrienols. In nature, eight compounds have been found to possess vitamin E activity.
