BOBIGNY, France—Recent research found no beneficial effects of antioxidant supplementation in a generally well-nourished population to be consistent with recent reports of a lack of efficacy of antioxidant supplements; however, the relations between the risk of metabolic syndrome (MS) and antioxidant concentrations do support the current recommendations to consume antioxidant-rich foods (Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;90(2):329-35).A total of 5,220 adults free of MS participating in the Supplementation en Vitamines et Minéraux Antioxydants (SUVIMAX) primary prevention trial were randomly assigned to receive a supplement containing a combination of antioxidants (vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc and selenium) at nutritional doses or a placebo and were followed for 7.5 years.
Antioxidant supplementation for 7.5 years did not affect the risk of MS. Baseline serum antioxidant concentrations of beta-carotene and vitamin C, however, were negatively associated with the risk of MS; the adjusted odds ratios for the highest compared with the lowest tertile were 0.34 and 0.53, respectively. Baseline serum zinc concentrations were positively associated with the risk of developing MS; the adjusted odds ratio for the highest compared with the lowest tertile was 1.81.
