Cancer

Tocotrienols have been shown to have a beneficial effect on cancer. In one study, tocotrienols inhibited the growth of human breast cancer cells by 50%. [25] Tocotrienols exhibit "strong activity against tumor production." [26] A study which investigated liver cancer found that "tocotrienol supplementation reduced the impact of carcinogens in rats." [27] In all of these studies, tocopherols, which are the vitamin E component more widely studied, have had little or no effect on tumor activity, in marked contrast to the effect of tocotrienols. Ferulic acid, a plant phenolic acid found in rice bran, has exhibited powerful anti-cancer activity. It is able to block formation of carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) as demonstrated in studies with nitrites. Nitrites are often used as a food preservative, especially in processed meats. In the body they are converted to nitrosamines, which are potent carcinogens. Ferulic acid can block this conversion and can also reverse the conversion process to inactivate the nitrosamines. [24]