Tocopherols tend to have longer tails, while tocotrienols have shorter and more flexible ones.
This small difference in size allows tocotrienol to rapidly cover a larger surface area of ​​the cell membrane, making them more effective and powerful as antioxidants.
Today, many supplements include tocopherols.
However, a major portion of the “natural alpha-tocopherol” in the market is actually synthetic. Unlike tocopherols, there is no synthetic version of tocotrienol ingredients on the market yet, and thus, they are still being sourced from natural foods. Annatto is one of the richest sources of tocotrienol.