Taking up to four grams per day has not been reported to raise liver enzymes or cause other side-effects, although prudence dictates that people with liver problems should avoid very high doses of inositol hexanicotinate, or any other form of niacin. Tocotrienols Vitamin E is often thought to be synonymous with d-alpha tocopherol. Vitamin E is actually an entire family of compounds that includes various tocopherols and a group of lesser-known but highly beneficial substances called tocotrienols. All have vitamin E activity. Tocotrienols are similar in chemical structure to tocopherols, but they have important differences that give them unique properties for human health.
Vitamin E neutralizes peroxides, which result from the oxidation of lipids by free radicals.
While d-alpha tocopherol has generally been regarded as the form of vitamin E with the strongest antioxidant activity, tocotrienols are even stronger. The tocotrienol story is another example of a natural product slow to gain recognition. Despite these monumental findings, it is safe to say that few cardiac physicians are well-informed or excited about tocotrienols. It would be a tremendous service to public health if they were, because the benefits of toctrienols go far beyond their stellar antioxidant ability. Tocotrienols also lower total cholesterol and triglycerides, by impressive percentages.