The vegetable oil used in our Vitamin E products is soybean oil. For those persons allergic or sensitive to soy or soy products, one might look to NOW® Dry E-400 capsules. This Vitamin E product is in a dry form and though also soy derived, it has no additional soy oil or soy derived ingredients.

What's the difference between Alpha and Gamma and Tocopherol?

In order to answer the question correctly we need to review what Vitamin E is. Vitamin E is a family of essential fat-soluble nutrients that act as powerful antioxidants. In nature there are 8 substances that have been found to have vitamin E activity: alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-tocopherol; and alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta tocotrienols. The four different isomers from both the tocopherol and tocotrienol groups all have different biological activities and therapeutic benefits.

According to research d-alpha-tocopherol has the highest bioavailablity and is the standard against which all the others must be compared. Human blood and tissue contains much more alpha-tocopherol than gamma-tocopherol even though gamma-tocopherol is the predominant form of vitamin E in our diet. It's suggested that the liver metabolizes both alpha and gamma forms but uses a special protein called alpha-tocopherol transfer protein to preferentially place more alpha than any other tocopherol into the VLDL and eventually the LDL cholesterol carries it through the bloodstream to the tissues. The liver metabolizes gamma-tocopherol to 2,7,8-trimethyl-2- (beta-carboxyethyl)-6-hydroxychromin (gamma-CEHC) which is absorbed in some tissues, sent back to the intestines via the bile and mostly excreted in the urine. Some research indicates that the active CEHC metabolite may have natriuretic activity and play a role in determining how much fluid and electrolytes may pass through the kidneys thereby influencing many important physiologic activities in the body.

Which NOW® Vitamin E product should I take for a good blend of mixed tocopherols? Which is better for gamma tocopherols?