Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Six times more increase in bone growth observed with tocotrienol supplementation.

The onset of menopause is triggered in part by a significant decrease in levels of the hormone estrogen (1).  This results in osteoporosis being one of the most significant health issues for postmenopausal women, as it results in 1.5 million fractured bones per year (2). Osteoporosis costs our healthcare system $18 billion per year and affects 10 million Americans, with another 34 million at risk (3).

For about the first five years after menopause, women lose bone mass at the rate of about 2% to 3% per year and then continue to lose about 1% of bone mass per year to the end of life (4). Research suggests that decreased antioxidant protection during menopause results in bone loss due to the increased activity of cells that break down bone (osteoclasts) and the decreased activity of cells that build bone (osteoblasts) (5). As a result, increasing antioxidant levels may benefit bone preservation. A 2012 study (6) suggests that vitamin E may be one such antioxidant.

In the study, 32 female rats were divided in 4 groups (8 rats per group) for 8 weeks. Three groups had their ovaries surgically removed and were given a standard diet (ovary removal control), standard diet with 60 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight of vitamin E, or standard diet with 1,000 milligrams of calcium in the drinking water. The vitamin E supplement consisted of 24.67% alpha-tocotrienol, 38.955% beta-tocotrienol, 4.55% gamma-tocotrienol, and 20.11% alpha-tocopherol. The fourth group did not have their ovaries removed and were given a standard diet (ovary control).

By the end of 8 weeks, those in the tocotrienol group “clearly showed increased bone formation and reduced bone resorption.” Specifically, bone growth rate in the tocotrienol group was several times greater (1.2 micrometers3/micrometers2 per day) compared to both the calcium and ovary non-removal groups (0.2 micrometers3/micrometers2 per day) (p < 0.05) and ovary-removal control group (0.1 micrometers3/micrometers2 per day (p < 0.05).

The significance of vitamin E’s benefit to bone growth coupled with calcium’s lack of benefit continues to shape an approach that calcium supplementation’s effect on bone health remains “modest”, helping reduce the risk osteoporosis fractures by 10-20% (4) and that a greater focus on antioxidant supplementation for bone health needs to be implemented.

For the researchers, “tocotrienols increased bone formation rate in estrogen-deficient [ovary-removed] rats, while calcium did not” and that “Further studies are needed to determine the potential of tocotrienol as an anti-osteoporotic agent.”

Source: Soelaiman, Ima Nirwana, et al. “Palm tocotrienol supplementation enhanced bone formation in oestrogen-deficient rats.” International journal of endocrinology 2012 (2012).

© 2012 Ima Nirwana Soelaiman et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted July 24, 2014.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him atPitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

References:

  1. “Health and Aging: Hormones and Menopause” posted on the National Institutes of Aging website
  2. “Fast Facts” posted on the National Osteoprosis Foundation Website
  3. Nieves JW. Calcium and vitamin D intake influence bone mass, but not short-term fracture risk, in Caucasian postmenopausal women from the National Osteoporosis Risk Assessment (NORA) study. Osteo Int 2007. 10.1007/s00198-007-0501-2
  4. K. M. Sanders, C. A. Nowson, M. A. Kotowicz, K. Briffa, A. Devine, and I. R. Reid, “Calcium and bone health: position statement for the Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society, Osteoporosis Australia and the Endocrine Society of Australia,” Medical Journal of Australia 2009; 190(6):316–320, 2009
  5. O. Altindag, O. Erel, N. Soran, H. Celik, and S. Selek, “Total oxidative/anti-oxidative status and relation to bone mineral density in osteoporosis,” Rheumatology International 2008; 28(4): 317–321
  6. Soelaiman  IN.  Palm Tocotrienol Supplementation Enhanced Bone Formation in Oestrogen-Deficient Rats Int J Endocrinol  2012;2012:532862. doi: 10.1155/2012/532862. Epub 2012 Oct 22.