Antioxidants May Boost Heart Health and Metabolism

Long-term supplementation with antioxidants may
beneficially effect sugar and fat metabolism, as well as
boosting heart health by increasing the flexibility of arteries,
reports an important new study.

Daily supplements of vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and
selenium significantly improved the elasticity of arteries, and levels
of HDL cholesterol in people with multiple cardiovascular risk factors,
according to findings published in Nutrition & Metabolism.

"This beneficial vascular effect was associated with an improvement
in glucose and lipid metabolism as well as significant decrease in
blood pressure," reported researchers from Wolfson Medical Center,
Israel.

The study involved 70 people with high blood pressure, diabetes,
low HDL cholesterol levels, or who were smokers. The average age
of the subjects was 62.

The participants were randomly assigned to received either a placebo
or a daily antioxidant supplement containing vitamin C (1000 mg per
day), vitamin E (400 International Units per day), coenzyme Q10
(120 mg per day) and selenium (200 micrograms per day).

Six months later, and the researchers noted that people in the
antioxidant group exhibited significant increases in arterial elasticity
index, a measure of the flexibility and therefore the health of blood
vessels. Specifically, the large arterial elasticity index increased from
11 to 12.7 ml/mm Hg x100, while no changes were observed in the
placebo group.

Furthermore, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly, with the former dropping from 145.2 to 136.1 mmHg,
while the later dropped from 78.4 to 75.0 mmHg, said the
researchers.

Significant improvements were also observed in HDL cholesterol
levels for the antioxidant group, said the researchers, but not in the
placebo group.

Explaining the potential mechanism involved, the Israeli researchers
note that previous studies have indicated that vitamins C and E may
protect DNA from damage, enhance antioxidant defenses and restore
the health of the cells lining blood vessels (endothelium). In addition
Coenzyme-Q10 "plays an essential role as an electron carrier in
mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, improves endothelial dysfunction in diabetic patients". They also note that selenium,
via its role in various antioxidative enzymes, "provides significant
protection of the coronary artery endothelium against damage by
oxidative stress".

Source: Nutrition & Metabolism

"Effect of long-term treatment with antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E,
coenzyme Q10 and selenium) on arterial compliance, humoral factors
and inflammatory markers in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk
factors"