Hadley, MA—According to data published in a recent issue of Clinical & Experimental Cardiology, an annatto-based tocotrienol ingredient may be able to reduce some markers of inflammation.For one month, researchers tested the effects of a 90% delta-tocotrienol/10% gamma-tocotrienol ingredient (DeltaGold, derived from annatto) at increasing dosages of 125, 250, 500 or 750 mg/d in 31 individuals with high cholesterol. Everyone also followed the American Heart Association’s Step-1 Diet and had bloodwork done regularly to see the effects on inflammatory markers.

Even at the lowest dose, the supplement lowered levels of nitric oxide (NO), c-reactive protein (CRP), malondialdehyde (MDA) and δ-glutamyl-transferase (δ-GT). The most effective dose—250 mg/d—lowered NO by 40% and CRP by 40%, while total antioxidant status climbed 22%. Another positive result, the 250-mg dose reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines by 15–17%. The researchers stated this dosage in hypercholesterolemic patients “may be a potential therapeutic alternative natural product for the maintenance of health during aging process.”

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, September 2015 (online 8/10/2015)