24 April 2013
According to a new study, increased intakes of antioxidant nutrients are associated with a lower risk of developing heart failure.
The prospective cohort study estimated the intake of all antioxidants in diet based on food-frequency questionnaires (total antioxidant capacity of diet) of 33,713 women (aged 49-83 years) and documented cases of heart failure over an 11-year period (1). The results showed that – after adjusting the data for risk factors such as smoking, body mass index, and physical activity, participants with the highest total antioxi-dant capacity of diet had a 42% decreased risk of heart failure compared with those with the lowest anti-oxidant capacity.
The researchers commented the study results would provide additional evidence that consuming a diet rich in antioxidant-containing foods benefits cardiovascular health. Antioxidants are thought to protect against car-diovascular disease by preventing the oxidation of lipids and endothelial damage, which can lead to athero-sclerosis, and by preserving the nitric oxide pool, which promotes vasodilatation and potentially reduces blood pressure, a factor that is of particular importance in the development of heart failure. According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart failure affects 5.7 million people in the United States, half of whom die within five years of diagnosis.
9 July 2012
The omega3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, commonly referred to as EPA and DHA, may help to generate an optimal balance of the oxidative status by gene regulation, suggests a new German study.
4 February 2009
High-dose vitamin B1 supplements may protect against kidney damage, a condition said to threaten one in three diabetics, according to a study.
26 January 2011
Oral supplementation with antioxidants could improve sperm quality by reducing oxidative stress, a new US review suggests.
