Home Ingredients DeltaGold® (Annatto Tocotrienols — American River Nutrition)
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DeltaGold® (Annatto Tocotrienols — American River Nutrition)

Bixa orellana
Evidence Level
Very Strong
3 Clinical Trials
8 Documented Benefits
5/5 Evidence Score

DeltaGold® is the first and only tocopherol-free tocotrienol ingredient from American River Nutrition (Everwell Health subsidiary) — derived from annatto plant (Bixa orellana). Distinguished by ~90% delta + 10% gamma tocotrienol composition with NO interfering tocopherols. FDA GRAS status. Multiple peer-reviewed clinical trials. Used for: cardiovascular health, metabolic syndrome, glycemic control, bone health, anti-inflammatory.

Studied Dose 125-300 mg/day DeltaGold (250 mg in T2DM trial)
Active Compound Annatto-derived tocotrienols (~90% delta-T3 + 10% gamma-T3, tocopherol-free)

Benefits

Type 2 Diabetes Glycemic Control (24-Week RCT)

DeltaGold 250 mg/day for 24 weeks in 110 T2DM patients showed significant improvements in fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin, HOMA-IR, plus reduced inflammation and oxidative stress markers (Phytotherapy Research 2021).

Supported by Trial 1

Cardiovascular Health

Multiple DeltaGold trials demonstrate cholesterol management (7-8% LDL reduction in T2DM trial), reduced inflammation, oxidative stress reduction.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 3

Metabolic Syndrome

Delta- and gamma-tocotrienols more effective than alpha-tocotrienol/tocopherol at attenuating metabolic syndrome — established in multiple studies.

Supported by Trial 3

Bone Health (Postmenopausal Women)

Annatto tocotrienol shows promise as bone health promoter in postmenopausal women — published clinical evidence.

Supported by Trial 2

Tocopherol-free Distinction

Critical — alpha-tocopherol interferes with tocotrienol uptake and function; DeltaGold is tocopherol-free unlike palm/rice tocotrienols (which contain interfering alpha-tocopherol).

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

FDA GRAS Status

First tocopherol-free tocotrienol product to receive FDA GRAS — enables food and beverage applications.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 1

Patent-Protected US Manufacturing

Patented manufacturing process; US-based production.

Triglyceride Reduction

T2DM trial showed 10.3% triglyceride reduction with DeltaGold vs 0.9% placebo.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Delta- and Gamma-Tocotrienol Activity

Smaller chromanol head structure than alpha-T3 enables greater cell membrane penetration and stronger potency; superior to alpha forms in most metabolic applications.

2

HMG-CoA Reductase Modulation

Tocotrienols inhibit HMG-CoA reductase (cholesterol synthesis enzyme) — different mechanism than statins; cholesterol-lowering effects.

3

miRNA Modulation (T2DM Trial)

T2DM trial demonstrated 2-3-fold modifications in microRNAs associated with diabetes, inflammation, oxidative stress — sophisticated regulatory mechanism.

4

NF-kB Anti-Inflammatory

Delta- and gamma-T3 modulate NF-kB inflammatory pathway; reduce IL-6, TNF-alpha (15.9% and 13.7% reductions in T2DM trial).

5

Antioxidant Activity

Tocotrienols have superior free radical scavenging vs tocopherols due to unsaturated side chain enabling more efficient tissue incorporation.

6

No Interference from Alpha-Tocopherol

DeltaGold's tocopherol-free composition prevents alpha-tocopherol's interference with tocotrienol uptake and function.

Clinical trials

1
DeltaGold for Type 2 Diabetes — Phytotherapy

24-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 250 mg/day DeltaGold in 110 T2DM patients.

110 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Significant improvements in fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin, HOMA-IR. Triglycerides reduced 10.3% (vs 0.9% placebo). LDL cholesterol reduced 8.5%. IL-6 reduced 15.9%, TNF-alpha 13.7%. miRNA modulation. Confirmed first-in-class tocotrienol diabetes management.

2
DeltaGold for Bone Health — Postmenopausal Women

Clinical study of annatto tocotrienol on bone markers in postmenopausal women.

Postmenopausal women.

Promising bone health promoter; supports healthy aging applications.

3
DeltaGold for Cardiovascular Markers

Multiple DeltaGold trials on cardiovascular and inflammatory markers.

Various populations including cardiovascular and metabolic concerns.

Lipid parameter improvements; reduced inflammatory biomarkers.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Generally well-tolerated.
Mild GI distress (rare).
Allergic reactions rare.
Theoretical bleeding effects from vitamin E family at very high doses.
Soy sensitivity — verify if allergic (some tocotrienol sources contain trace soy).

Important Drug interactions

Anticoagulants — vitamin E family modest antiplatelet effects.
Statins — additive cholesterol-lowering; complementary mechanism.
Diabetes medications — DeltaGold improves glycemic control; monitor for additive effects.
Hormone therapies — DeltaGold may interact; consult.
Pregnancy — limited specific safety data; consult.
Lactation — limited data.
Pre-surgery — discontinue 1-2 weeks for bleeding considerations.

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Frequently asked questions about DeltaGold® (Annatto Tocotrienols — American River Nutrition)

What is DeltaGold?

DeltaGold® is the first and only tocopherol-free tocotrienol ingredient from American River Nutrition (Everwell Health subsidiary) — derived from annatto plant (Bixa orellana). Distinguished by ~90% delta + 10% gamma tocotrienol composition with NO interfering tocopherols. FDA GRAS status.

What is DeltaGold used for?

DeltaGold is researched primarily for Cardiovascular, Antioxidant, and Metabolic Health. DeltaGold 250 mg/day for 24 weeks in 110 T2DM patients showed significant improvements in fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin, HOMA-IR, plus reduced inflammation and oxidative stress markers (Phytotherapy Research 2021).

What is the recommended dosage of DeltaGold?

The clinically studied dose is 125-300 mg/day DeltaGold (250 mg in T2DM trial) Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is DeltaGold safe, and does it have side effects?

For most healthy adults, DeltaGold is well tolerated at studied doses. Reported effects can include: Generally well-tolerated. Mild GI distress (rare). It may also interact with some medications. DeltaGold is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does DeltaGold interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Anticoagulants — vitamin E family modest antiplatelet effects. Statins — additive cholesterol-lowering; complementary mechanism. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for DeltaGold?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for DeltaGold as Very Strong (5 out of 5). It is backed by 3 clinical trials and 5 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(5 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Magosso E, Ansari MA, Gopalan Y, Shuaib IL, Wong JW, Khan NAK, Abu Bakar MR, Ng BH, Yuen KH. Tocotrienols for normalisation of hepatic echogenic response in nonalcoholic fatty liver: a randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial. Nutr J. 2013;12(1):166. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-12-166.PubMedUsed to support: NAFLD RCT (n=87 hypercholesterolaemic adults with ultrasound-proven NAFLD): mixed tocotrienols 200 mg twice daily for 1 year produced significantly higher normalisation of hepatic echogenic response vs placebo. Note: used a mixed-tocotrienol (palm-type parent) preparation, not annatto/DeltaGold specifically.
  2. Shen CL, Yang S, Tomison MD, Romero AW, Felton CK, Mo H. Tocotrienol supplementation suppressed bone resorption and oxidative stress in postmenopausal osteopenic women: a 12-week randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. Osteoporos Int. 2018;29(4):881-891. doi: 10.1007/s00198-017-4356-x.PubMedUsed to support: Bone RCT using annatto-derived tocotrienol (90% delta-/10% gamma — the DeltaGold composition) in postmenopausal osteopenic women: 12 weeks reduced a bone-resorption marker and oxidative-stress markers vs placebo. Surrogate (biomarker) endpoints, not fracture/BMD; annatto/DeltaGold-specific.
  3. Shen CL, Wang S, Yang S, Tomison MD, Abbasi M, Hao L, Scott S, Khan MS, Romero AW, Felton CK, Mo H. A 12-week evaluation of annatto tocotrienol supplementation for postmenopausal women: safety, quality of life, body composition, physical activity, and nutrient intake. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2018;18(1):198. doi: 10.1186/s12906-018-2263-0.PubMedUsed to support: Brand-specific safety data: explicitly used DeltaGold 70 (annatto seed extract, 90% delta-/10% gamma-tocotrienol). Up to 600 mg/day for 12 weeks did not affect liver or kidney function and caused no treatment-related adverse events. Confirms DeltaGold tolerability.
  4. Zuo S, Wang G, Han Q, Xiao H, Santos HO, Avelar Rodriguez D, Khani V, Tang J. The effects of tocotrienol supplementation on lipid profile: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complement Ther Med. 2020;52:102450. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102450.PubMedUsed to support: Meta-analysis (15 RCTs, 20 arms) — honest: significant rise in HDL-C (+0.146 mmol/L) but non-significant effects on total cholesterol and LDL-C overall; triglycerides fell significantly only at doses >=200 mg/day. Tempers strong single-trial cholesterol claims. Tocotrienol parent literature, not annatto-specific.
  5. Qureshi AA, Sami SA, Salser WA, Khan FA. Dose-dependent suppression of serum cholesterol by tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF25) of rice bran in hypercholesterolemic humans. Atherosclerosis. 2002;161(1):199-207. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9150(01)00619-0.PubMedUsed to support: Classic dose-finding lipid trial (n=90): rice-bran tocotrienol-rich fraction (~100 mg/day) plus AHA Step-1 diet lowered total cholesterol ~20%, LDL ~25% vs baseline via HMG-CoA reductase suppression. Note: rice-bran TRF (parent literature), not annatto/DeltaGold; positive single-source results not fully reproduced in later pooled analyses.