SMOKING, PLASMA ANTIOXIDANTS AND ESSENTIAL FATTY-ACIDS BEFORE AND AFTER NUTRATHERAPY

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of smoking on plasma antioxidants with and without antioxidant vitamin nutratherapy. DESIGN: Chronic smokers (n=10, 16+/-4 cigarettes a day) and nonsmokers (n=17) of both sexes we re recruited from patients with arthritis-like symptoms. After baselin e studies of plasma antioxidant vitamins Q (ubiquinone) and E (alpha-t ocopherol) and essential fatty acids (EFA, vitamin F), three months nu tratherapy with vitamins Q (90 mg) and E (350 mg) was administered and plasma reanalyzed. RESULTS: No sec differences were seen in smoking h abits or plasma nutrients. Smokers had normal Q (0.71+/-0.07 mg/L) but depressed E (9.4+/-0.6 mg/L, P<0.01). EFA were the same in both group s. Nutratherapy increased Q by about 90% in both groups and E by 47% i n smokers and 101% in nonsmokers (P<0.01). In nonsmokers, nutratherapy protected omega-3 fatty acids (vitamin F-1)-plasma docosahexaenoic ac id increased by 39%. The vitamin F index (omega-6:omega-3 ratio) remai ned unchanged in the smokers but decreased in the nonsmokers and becam e related to the individual plasma vitamin Q but not to vitamin E. CON CLUSION: There was no difference between smokers and nonsmokers before nutratherapy. Nonsmokers may have suffered from passive smoking. Afte r nutratheraphy the quantitatively most important antioxidant, ie, vit amin E, increased more in nonsmokers than in smokers. This resulted in less vitamin F-1 peroxidation. Nutratherapy cannot overcome disadvant ages associated with smoking. Nonsmokers might achieve an antioxidant protection with nutratherapy, which could mean a possible reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease.