Understanding tocopherols: the antioxidant preservative in packaged foods
Tocopherol sources, production methods, health implications, and more.
Hello, readers! In this week’s deep dive, we’re talking about the food additive tocopherols. This form of Vitamin E can be both naturally sourced and synthetic and is a common preservative used across many food categories. I’m sharing what you need to know about this ingredient, and ultimately, whether it’s something you should be concerned about.
This post is part of my Ingredient 101 series. You can check out my previous posts in this series here:
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Let’s start with the basics.
Tocopherols are a form of vitamin E. Vitamin E has eight forms: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta-tocopherols; and alpha, beta, gamma, and delta-tocotrienols. Tocopherols are found naturally in foods, including vegetable oils, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, almonds, and hazelnuts.
In the digestive tract, tocopherols are absorbed in the small intestine and processed by the liver. Alpha-tocopherols are prioritized and sent into circulation by the liver, while the other forms are largely excreted. For this reason, alpha-tocopherol is the predominant type of tocopherol found in serum and body tissues, and is the only form of vitamin E recognized as part of our recommended daily intake for vitamin E.
Tocopherols have strong antioxidant activity, which helps protect our cells from free radical damage and may reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
The strong antioxidant activity of tocopherols is exactly what makes them an effective food preservative.
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