Acesulfame potassium is a zero-calorie sweetener that is added to many sugar-free…
D-alpha-tocopherol
D-alpha-tocopherol
D-alpha-tocopherol
What is it:
D-alpha-tocopherol, a tocopherol from the group of tocopherols referred to as vitamin E, is a food additive used for its antioxidant properties and nutritional benefits. It is the natural form of vitamin E found in various foods, and it is often added to processed foods to prevent the oxidation of fats and oils, thereby extending shelf life and maintaining product quality. D-alpha-tocopherol is typically produced through a chemical synthesis or extracted from natural sources like vegetable oils, such as soybean, wheat germ, or sunflower oil. In the extraction process, the oil is first refined, and then the D-Alpha-Tocopherol is separated and purified. It is commonly used in vitamin E supplements.
Rating:
Vitamin E is an essential nutrient for human health and added tocopherols in foods can help maintain adequate levels. However, supplementation with vitamin E has demonstrated mixed results, with some studies suggesting increased associations with mortality from supplementation while others suggesting neuroprotective benefits or improvements in various biomarkers from supplementation. This may be largely due to differences in populations in which supplementation with dietary antioxidants seems to benefit some and harm others. While tocopherols included in foods may be included at a much lower rate than supplementation, the addition of them in food could cause even higher levels of intake for people who supplement with vitamin E already. Additionally, d-alpha-tocopherol is commonly extracted from vegetable oils with high heats and harsh solvents such a as hexane, which has shown to have toxic effects in humans. However, the amounts consumed as additives in foods is likely much smaller than the amounts consumed in supplements and may still promote a beneficial antioxidant effect.
Resources:
- NIH Vitamin E fact sheet
- The role of vitamin E in human health (review)
- High-dosage vitamin E supplementation may increase all-cause mortality (meta-analysis)
- Separation methods of tocopherols from vegetable oil with use of hexane
- Heated vegetable oils and cardiovascular disease risk factors (Vascular Pharmacology Textbook)
- Towards Substitution of Hexane as Extraction Solvent of Food Products and Ingredients with No Regrets. (Academic Journal)
- Neuroprotective role of vitamin E in patients with neurodegenerative diseases (review)
- Beneficial Effects of Vitamin E Supplementation on Endothelial Dysfunction, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis (sysetmatic review and meta-analysis)
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
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