Studies suggest hair and brain health benefits of ExcelVite’s tocotrienol complex

06 Sep 2017 --- ExcelVite’s palm vitamin E tocotrienol complex known as EVNol SupraBio has been given a surprising potential new use, as an Ohio State University study has suggested that it can induce hair follicle growth. Vitamin E occurs naturally in eight different forms. The form of vitamin E used in the study, tocotrienol or TCT, is not abundant in the American diet but is available as a nutritional supplement. It is a common component of a typical Southeast Asian diet.

“The mechanisms elucidated in this 2017 study open up opportunities for EVNol SupraBio to be formulated as a natural hair growth vitamin or dietary supplement,” Bryan See, ExcelVite Business Development Manager, tells NutritionInsight. “It has received Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status and no objection letter from the US FDA and it will not lead to negative side effects as some pharmaceutical agents would.”

Study finds tocotrienol assists hair growth
Researchers at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center uncovered the novel pathway for hair follicular regeneration in a study on male mice. The mice were applied with either 5mg/cm2 of palm tocotrienol rich fraction (TRF) – in this case, EVNol SupraBio bioenhanced palm tocotrienol complex, supplied by ExcelVite – or placebo on shaved dorsal skin three times per week for 21 days and the evaluation of hair growth was recorded by the color of dorsal skin.

When compared to placebo, the palm TRF treated group showed significantly increased number of anagen (cycle of growth) hair follicles and increased fetal characteristics of hair follicular development in the adult skin, among other encouraging characteristics.

“What we have shown is that Palm TRF can induce hair folliculogenesis, which means that it can enrich the skin stem cell reserves,” says Professor Chandan Sen, the lead researcher at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “This novel epidermal pathway of hair follicular regeneration can have widespread impact on skin function including skin aging and repair.”

When it comes to the implications of the study’s results, See emphasises particularly the fact that according to the author’s manuscript, in addition to “[EVNol SupreBio’s] role in hair growth, hair follicles serve as stem cell reservoirs that may influence numerous aspects of skin function and complication. Thus, novel strategies to induce follicular proliferation in the adult skin are likely to have a wide range of implications in preserving and restoring skin function.”

Other than hair follicle regeneration, See also points out that EVNol SupraBio has human studies to support its benefits for general brain health, cholesterol levels, heart health and fighting non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In addition, a 2010 study suggesting that tocotrienol protects the brain after a stroke has recently been referenced on the ExcelVite website.