Antioxidants and heart disease

Antioxidant vitamins are known to have cardiovascular benefits, but a recent study indicates that there is too little evidence to recommend taking antioxidant supplements to reduce the risk of heart disease.Researchers from the Pennsylvania State University found that one can get plenty of antioxidants from food sources, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts. Diets high in fruits and vegetables are associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. The researchers advise eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day and at least six servings of grain products, including whole grain foods.Antioxidants, including vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, target a process called oxidation in which cell-damaging substances called free radicals accumulate. Oxidation is suspected of increasing the risk of several diseases, including heart disease.

Oxidation plays a role in the development of deposits called plaques that build up in diseased arteries. Some population-based studies have observed lower rates of heart disease in people who take antioxidant supplements, such as vitamin E.Several clinical trials have investigated the effect of antioxidant supplements on heart disease and a few studies found that antioxidant supplements may have a detrimental effect on cardiovascular risk. But the apparent lack of an effect of antioxidant supplements in recent clinical trials doesn't mean that oxidation doesn't play a role in the development of heart disease.

While the research shows that antioxidant supplements have no benefit, the role oxidative stress plays in the development and progression of heart disease is yet to be clarified.