Antioxidants Studied in Common Metabolic Changes

Antioxidants are associated with enhanced metabolic health factors, recent research has reported. Metabolic imbalances include abdominal (central) obesity, elevated blood pressure, insulin efficiency or decreased glucose tolerance, and imbalances in blood lipid parameters, such as total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. In addition, increased blood viscosity and inflammatory imbalances are also related to metabolic changes. These metabolic factors are associated with suboptimal heart health and effects on blood sugar metabolism.

In this new study, researchers analyzed data from adults between 20 and 85 years of age from the 2001-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The researchers assessed serum antioxidant concentrations, including retinol, retinyl esters, vitamin E, vitamin C, and the carotenoids alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin and total lycopene.

The results of the study showed that 32 percent of American men and 29.5 percent of American women had at least 3 metabolic factors that could impact health. The data also showed that American adults with the presence of certain metabolic factors had lower serum carotenoids concentrations compared to American adults without the presence of metabolic factors.

In men, low serum concentrations of retinol and retinyl esters, which are forms of vitamin A, were also associated with increased risk of metabolic health issues. Additionally, low serum retinol and retinyl esters correlated with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP, a marker of inflammation) and elevated blood uric acid levels. Low concentrations of serum vitamin C also correlated with the increased presence of metabolic factors, insulin inefficiency, and increased blood uric acid levels.

The researchers concluded that future intervention studies are indicated to assess the effectiveness of modifying serum antioxidant concentrations, particularly carotenoids, given the sub-optimal levels of antioxidants in Americans with metabolic imbalances.

Reference:

Beydoun MA, Shroff MR, Chen X, Beydoun HA, Wang Y, Zonderman AB. Serum Antioxidant Status Is Associated with Metabolic Syndrome among U.S. Adults in Recent National Surveys. J Nutr. 2011 Mar 30. Published Online Ahead of Print.