Can You Take Tocotrienols for Blood Thinners

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Published on: 15 Jan 2026

TL;DR

Tocotrienols can influence platelet activity in laboratory studies, but human research has not demonstrated strong blood-thinning effects. If you are taking anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs, adding tocotrienols is not necessarily unsafe, but it should be done under medical supervision.

So, you are super excited to try tocotrienols, the new vitamin E supplement everyone is talking about. But you already take blood thinners.

Naturally, you did what most of us do: you Googled whether it's safe to take them alongside your medication. And now? You're confused.

Some sources suggest that tocotrienols may help with heart and brain health.
Others warn that they could interfere with your blood thinners or affect clotting.

However, none of them is telling the simple truth behind those. Are tocotrienols safe with medications like warfarin and aspirin? Or do tocotrienols themselves act as blood thinners?

If this is you, don't be overwhelmed. These are the smart questions to ask for. When you're on blood thinners, even natural supplements (like tocotrienols) can affect. Let's discuss the science behind talk in detail.

Quick Refresher: What Does "Blood Thinner" Actually Mean?

Before analyzing the interaction between blood thinners and Vitamin E tocotrienols, let us briefly learn about blood thinners.

Don't be misled by the terms blood thinners; they don't make your blood watery, anyway. In fact, they are a class of medications, prescribed when there is a risk of harmful clots (like stroke, deep vein thrombosis, and heart attack). It is a colloquial medical term, comprising:

Anticoagulants: Drugs that slow down the rate of blood clotting, increasing the time it takes for blood to clot. Common examples include warfarin, heparin, and rivaroxaban.

Antiplatelets: Drugs that stop platelets from sticking together to form blood clots. Common examples include aspirin and clopidogrel.

When you're on either type, even small changes from certain foods, herbs, or supplements can influence how these medications work.

Blood-clotting-effects

Want to know about the general safety of tocotrienols for healthy individuals? Learn whether tocotrienol supplements are really safe for everyone.

What Are Tocotrienols? And How Are They Different from "Regular Vitamin E"?

Most of us know about Vitamin E, which is found everywhere, including in face wash, body lotions, and even edible oils. But only a few know the basic details:

Vitamin E is not a single molecule. It's a family of compounds, comprising four tocopherols and four tocotrienols (α, β, γ, δ for each).

Tocotrienols are more potent antioxidants than tocopherols. This lesser-known form of Vitamin E can penetrate deeper cellular membranes (due to its unique structure and side carbon chain).

Tocotrienols are less abundant in natural diets and foods. So far, annatto is the only natural source of 100% tocotrienols (the rest also contain tocopherols to some extent).

That's one reason why they've become popular regular Vitamin E supplements. Studies suggest they may support cholesterol balance, cellular protection, liver health, and brain function.

And that brings us to the question.

Can Tocotrienols Affect Blood-Clotting? The Science Behind

Potentially, yes, but evidence in humans is limited.

Preclinical Studies (Labs & Animal Research)

In laboratory and animal studies, tocotrienols show blood-thinner-like properties, especially in platelet activity:

In a canine coronary model, tocotrienol-rich fractions inhibited collagen-induced platelet aggregation by up to 92%, far more than α-tocopherol (Qureshi et al., 2011)¹.

They reduced platelet stickiness triggered by ADP and helped prevent cyclic flow reductions, a marker of clot formation.

Tocotrienols modulate COX and 5-LOX enzymes, part of the biochemical pathways that regulate platelet aggregation (Ahsan et al., 2014)².

Takeaway: In lab conditions, tocotrienols clearly influence platelet behavior (somewhat like antiplatelet drugs).

But lab results don't automatically translate to real-world effects, which brings us to human studies.

Human Clinical Studies

When studied in humans, tocotrienols tell a more modest and less confusing story.

In a 14-day trial with people with metabolic syndrome, 400 mg/day of TRF did not significantly change platelet aggregation compared to placebo, nor did it cause bleeding (Gan et al., 2014)³.

Another review discussing tocotrienol-rich vitamin E concentrate stated no significant change in collagen-induced platelet aggregation or thromboxane B₂, though some subtle biochemical shifts were observed (Theriault et al., 1999)⁴.

One review summarized that human evidence for antithrombotic effects is limited and inconsistent (Ahsan et al., 2014)².

Takeaway: Tocotrienols haven't demonstrated significant blood-thinning effects in humans.

Evidence Table: Tocotrienols and Blood Thinners

Study	Year	Type	Population / Model	Key Finding
Qureshi et al. (2011)¹	2011	Preclinical	Canine	Tocotrienols inhibited platelet aggregation by 92% vs collagen
Ahsan et al. (2014)²	2014	Review	Human + preclinical	Mechanistic plausibility; human evidence is limited
Gan et al. (2014)³	1999	Clinical	Metabolic syndrome	400 mg/day TRF for 14 days did not affect platelet aggregation
Theriault et al. (1999)⁴	2014	Review	Mixed	Early antithrombotic suggestions

Summary: While lab and animal studies show strong anticoagulant-like activity, human clinical data so far show modest to no significant blood-thinning effects.

What You Should Know If You're on Blood Thinners

This is where things get practical.

Should You Take or Replace Tocotrienols with Blood Thinners?

Tocotrienols are not proven to interact strongly with blood thinners in humans. Therefore, in any way, they aren't a replacement for your blood-thinning medications.

While taking anticoagulants and antiplatelets with tocotrienols, you must be cautious:

Vitamin E tocotrienols may affect platelet behavior.

Also, high-dose α-tocopherol (regular vitamin E) has been linked to bleeding risks in anticoagulated patients.

Bleeding Risk: Tocotrienols vs. Tocopherols

Here’s a quick comparison chart between tocotrienols and α-tocopherol.

Feature	Tocotrienols	α-Tocopherols (regular vitamin E)
Source & abundance	Less abundant, found in annatto, palm, etc.	More common in diet & supplements
Effects on platelet aggregation (humans)	Inconsistent/minimal effects in clinical trials (e.g., no significant change in platelet aggregation in trials)	Higher dose α-tocopherol linked to bleeding risk, interaction with warfarin, inhibition of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors
Bleeding risk when combined with an anticoagulant	Not well established; no strong evidence of major bleeding in trials (but sample size low)	Higher dose vitamin E supplementation has shown associations with increased bleeding risk, hemorrhagic stroke

Best seek medical supervision before you add tocotrienols to your routine.

But do you know, not all tocotrienols are the same? Annatto-derived DeltaGold® Tocotrienols are pure, tocopherol-free, and GRAS-certified — giving you the most researched and trusted form of Vitamin E.

Learn More About DeltaGold Tocotrienols.

Safety & Dosage of Tocotrienols

Most human studies use doses of 100-300 mg/day of tocotrienols. Some short-term trials used up to 400 mg/day.

Duration: Most lasted 2–12 weeks.

Confused about the difference between 150 mg and 300 mg of tocotrienols? Here’s the guide to select the appropriate tocotrienol dosage.

Tocotrienols Side Effects with Blood Thinners

Minimal. No major bleeding events reported in trials. But remember, trials are too limited in numbers, and they didn't involve patients on potent blood thinners like warfarin in large numbers.

If you are on Warfarin, Aspirin, or DOACs, consult your doctor before adding tocotrienols.

Bottom Line

Vitamin E tocotrienols are 100% safe and effective for healthy individuals. However, if you're on blood thinners like warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel, or DOACs, don't add tocotrienols without checking with your doctor.

It's not because tocotrienols can cause you problems or bleeding risk; it's because there isn't strong evidence to guarantee they're safe in every scenario. And your health is above all.

Key Takeaways

Tocotrienols are not the same as regular vitamin E (tocopherols).

Lab studies show potential antiplatelet effects.

Human studies don’t confirm strong blood-thinning action.

If you’re on blood thinners, talk to your doctor before adding tocotrienols.

Never replace prescribed medication with supplements.

Disclaimer: This article is educational, not medical advice. Consult your clinician before changing any meds, hormones, supplements, diet, or exercise.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Do tocotrienols act like blood thinners?

Not at all. Tocotrienols may affect platelet function but haven't shown strong clinical blood-thinning effects in humans.

Q2: Can I take tocotrienols with warfarin or aspirin?

Maybe, but only with medical guidance. There's no conclusive evidence of harmful interactions, but there may be risks.

Q3: Will tocotrienols increase my risk of bleeding?

So far, no major bleeding issues have been reported. However, human data are limited, so caution is prudent.

Q4: Are tocotrienols a substitute for blood thinners?

No. They are not approved anticoagulants or antiplatelet medications. Never stop your prescription blood thinner without medical advice.

References:

Qureshi AA, Reis JC, Qureshi N, Papasian CJ, Morrison DC, Schaefer EJ. Tocotrienols inhibit collagen-induced platelet aggregation in dogs. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2011;10:58. doi: 10.1186/1476-511X-10-58.

Ahsan H, Ahad A, Iqbal J, Siddiqui WA. Tocotrienols in health and disease: The other half of the natural vitamin E family. Nutrition & Metabolism. 2014;11:52. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-11-52.

Gan YL, Shuaib IL, Wan Ngah WZ, Mazlan M, Nesaretnam K, Yusof YA. Effects of tocotrienol-rich fraction supplementation on platelet function in metabolic syndrome subjects. Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Thesis. 2014. http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/51995/1/FBSB%202014%2016RR.pdf

Theriault A, Chao JT, Wang Q, Gapor A, Adeli K. Tocotrienol: a review of its therapeutic potential. Clin Biochem. 1999;32(5):309-319. doi:10.1016/S0009-9120(99)00027-2. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0009-9120(99)00027-2