Key findings from detailed records
A 2-year trial in 121 adults with cardiovascular risk and MRI-confirmed white matter lesions reported slower lesion progression with mixed tocotrienols 200 mg 2 times daily. The endpoint was an MRI measure, not improved memory or fewer dementia cases.
KNOWLEDGE RECORD
- Category
- Vision and cognition
- Last Reviewed
Names and related search termsTocotrienols / Tocotrienols
Study type: human intervention study.
OUTCOME-SPECIFIC EVIDENCE
Scientific Evidence Profile
Assessment pending
An outcome-specific assessment has not yet been completed. This is not a finding that the ingredient is ineffective. The study records below remain available.
This profile concerns the stated outcome and population, not the ingredient as a whole. It is not a probability of benefit, a safety rating, a product efficacy rating or an indication of product adoption.
How we assess evidenceIngredient Profile
- What is it?
- Alpha-tocotrienol is a vitamin E compound with an unsaturated side chain. A record for one tocotrienol does not describe the full composition of a mixed vitamin E preparation. [1]
Sources for this profile
Compound properties and formulation properties are different. These sources do not establish the efficacy of a finished supplement.
- PubChem — Alpha-Tocotrienol (CID 5282347) Chemical identity reference. Maintained by NCBI, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Database record; not a clinical trial.
Profile sources checked:
Read the evidence in context
- Evidence: what was measured in the stated population or experimental model.
- Inference: an interpretation connecting findings; its applicability depends on the study conditions.
- Hypothesis: a proposed explanation or effect that remains to be tested.
Why It Matters #
Do changes in MRI white matter lesions demonstrate improved cognition? Check the detailed records for study conditions and use the literature map to compare other populations and outcomes.
What Was Studied #
121 adults aged 35 or older, with cardiovascular risk and MRI-confirmed white matter lesions. Randomized placebo-controlled trial. Outcomes: White matter lesion volume on MRI[1]
What Was Found #
Reduced progression of lesion volume was reported at two years. The between-group difference was not significant at one year.[1]
What the Evidence Means #
An imaging surrogate. It does not directly demonstrate fewer dementia cases or improved memory.[1]
Comparing similar populations, formulations, durations and outcomes helps identify where findings agree and where they differ.
A separate 2026 trial in 51 patients with the genetic small-vessel disease CADASIL did not reduce clinical progression over 24 months. It tested a tocotrienol-rich vitamin E complex and was sponsored by Hovid. Its disease population and clinical endpoint differ from the earlier MRI trial; the results should not be pooled as one identical question. T3CAD, 2026
What We Can Learn #
Do not treat all vitamin E compounds as equivalent. Check mixture composition and distinguish imaging from symptoms.
What Remains Unknown #
Further questions include reproducibility across populations and formulations, and the long-term balance of benefits and harms. Use the literature map as a starting point for these questions.
LITERATURE MAP / 10 PAPERS
Compare papers by conditions and findings.
A literature map covering different populations, outcomes and formulations. Read alongside detailed records to avoid treating one trial as the conclusion for an entire ingredient.
Selected: 2026-09-21. Bibliographic information checked against Europe PMC / PubMed. Editorial selection considered major papers and a range of populations and questions. This is not a systematic search covering all recent research.
10 RECORDS
A dash marks fields outside the bibliographic record. Use detailed records to compare findings and design records to connect mechanisms.
No papers match. Change the search conditions.
The literature map is an index of research questions and references. Individual assessment of results, doses, funding and COI is limited to the detailed study records. Related reports from the same trial may be included; paper counts are not counts of independent trials.
Explore the research Study Records
Listed doses describe study conditions, not recommended intake.
Clinical investigation of the protective effects of palm vitamin E tocotrienols on brain white matter.
PubMed 24699052DOI: 10.1161/strokeaha.113.004449
- Authors
- Gopalan Y, Shuaib IL, Magosso E, Ansari MA, Abu Bakar MR, Wong JW, Khan NA, Liong WC, Sundram K, Ng BH, Karuthan C, Yuen KH.
- Journal
- Stroke
- Publication year
- 2014
- Study design
- Randomized placebo-controlled trial
- Participants
- 121 adults aged 35 or older, with cardiovascular risk and MRI-confirmed white matter lesions.
- Dose and intervention
- Mixed tocotrienols 200 mg twice daily
- Duration
- 2 years
- Outcomes and their role in the study
- White matter lesion volume on MRI
- Findings
- Reduced progression of lesion volume was reported at two years. The between-group difference was not significant at one year.
- Limitations
- MRI is a surrogate, not dementia incidence or memory. Only 88 of 121 completed; missing MRI values in the intention-to-treat analysis were carried forward. Results concern the tested mixed preparation.
- Funding
- Funded by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.
- Conflict of Interest
- Wong and Ng were Hovid Research employees; Yuen was a Hovid executive director. Other authors reported no conflicts.
- Scope of source review
- Original methods, outcomes, attrition, laboratory results and disclosures checked on 2026-10-24.
Cite this page
LÍFSVARÐA. Tocotrienols: Do changes in MRI white matter lesions demonstrate improved cognition? Version 1.1 / Updated 2026-10-24
https://lifsvarda.com/knowledge/tocotrienols/Edited by LÍFSVARÐA (product brand).Editorial policy
Sources and updates
- Gopalan Y, Shuaib IL, Magosso E, Ansari MA, Abu Bakar MR, Wong JW, Khan NA, Liong WC, Sundram K, Ng BH, Karuthan C, Yuen KH. (2014). Clinical investigation of the protective effects of palm vitamin E tocotrienols on brain white matter.Original methods, outcomes, attrition, laboratory results and disclosures checked on 2026-10-24.
First published: 2026-09-21 / Version 1.1. Updated 2026-09-23: Added a research comparison table and links to design records. Source notes identify the scope of verification when the full paper has not been reviewed. Research summaries and LÍFSVARÐA’s interpretation are distinguished.