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Total Antioxidant Capacity: A Key Determinant of Health
Editor's note: As researchers continue to explore the role of nutrition in modulating health and disease, they are increasingly going beyond the limits of assessing concentrations of single antioxidants. It appears the true power of food is reflected in a new concept known as dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC).
This study is among the first to assess TAC as it relates to chronic disease indicators in healthy subjects.
This study is considered the first to assess possible associations between dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and several metabolic syndrome features in young, healthy adults. Researchers note that the concept of total antioxidant capacity was previously introduced because “the concentration of single antioxidants may not reflect the total antioxidant power of food.” Because food intake has been linked to oxidative stress modulation and inflammation, researchers sought to determine possible associations between TAC and features of chronic disease. Investigators note that while no cause-and-effect relation is clearly established between oxidative stress and disease, much research has linked higher concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers (related to oxidative damage) with chronic diseases.
One hundred fifty three healthy, young adults participated in this study after meeting a number of exclusion criteria. A number of anthropometric variables and blood pressure were measured, while a detailed, validated food frequency questionnaire and 3-d record to calculate TAC was administered. Biochemical markers were taken from blood samples drawn after an overnight fast. Statistically significant, negative associations between systolic blood pressure, serum glucose, free fatty acids and TAC were observed. Conversely, results showed positive and significant associations between dietary TAC and fiber, folic acid, vitamin A and C, magnesium, selenium and zinc intakes. Interestingly, in this study, no statistically significant change in variables was noted between vitamin consumers and non consumers. Puchau et al note that their results are consistent with other studies which identify specific food groups such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, coffee, tea, and alcoholic beverages as the most important contributors to TAC values. Their data suggests that dietary TAC may be “a potential predictor of the risk to develop metabolic syndrome features, such as adiposity or impairments in systolic blood pressure, serum glucose and free fatty acids, and some inflammatory biomarkers in health subjects.” Study: Puchua, B.,et al, Nutrition: 1-8 (2009) RETURN from Total Antioxidant Capacity Study |
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