Vitamin E, is a fat-soluble vitamin commonly found in nuts, seeds, leafy greens, fortified cereals and vegetable oils. It plays
an active role in immunity, cardiovascular health and preventing certain cancers including colon, lung, breast and prostate1.
Because it is a powerful antioxidant, it has the two fold benefit of scavenging potentially harmful free radicals that can
otherwise damage cells and decrease the shelf life of oil.
Tocopherols are actually a family of compounds that together make up different forms of vitamin E. There are eight
naturally occurring forms, including four tocopherols and four tocotrienols that both come in alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and
delta- structures. While alpha-tocopherol has been studied the most and receives much of the credit for its health benefits,
research suggests other forms of tocopherols, especially gamma- have additional health benefits. Among those claims are
that gamma-tocopherol is the most potent anti-cancer form of the vitamin as well as the main contributor to improved
cardiovascular functions.
Because of their antioxidant properties, tocopherols also play an important role in the stability and shelf life of vegetable
oils. Oxidative stability and deterioration of oils depend on a number of factors including fatty acid composition,
concentration of compounds with antioxidant or prooxidant characteristics, degree of processing and storage conditions.
For most vegetable oils, up to 32% of the native tocopherols are removed during refining process.
Conversely, Benexia’s chia oil extraction is a cold press process, where the nutrients and natural bioactive compounds
of the oil remain preserved in the oil. Native tocopherols in the chia oil are actually sufficient to protect it from
oxidation during storage at ambient temperature.
All foods that contain vitamin E have some mix of tocopherols and tocotrienols. However, Benexia®’s Xia Oil (100% chia
oil) has one of the highest naturally occurring levels of gamma tocopherol at a concentration of 500mg/kg (26mg/kg of
alpha tocopherol)5. The reason for this is two-pronged: Benexia preserves the genetic heritage of the seed ensuring there
is no genetic modification (non-GMO Project Verified) and they strictly control soil nutrient levels through sustainable
and regenerative agricultural practices.