[Obesity and oxidative stress: role of antioxidant supplementation]

The prevalence of obesity has significantly increased during the last decades reaching epidemic proportions in many countries. Obesity has been described as a state of chronic oxidative stress. Furthermore, oxidative stress has been defined as the link between obesity and its major associated disorders such as insulin resistance, hypertension, etc. Because of this, recent studies have suggested the potential therapeutic role of dietary antioxidant supplementation in the reduction of body weight or its beneficial effect on several obesity related disorders. This review updates the data described during the last years (2002-2008) regarding the relationship between obesity and oxidative stress as well as the role of dietary antioxidant supplementation in the reduction of oxidative stress, obesity and its principal associated comorbidities. Despite the available data, here summarized, further studies are needed in order to deeply understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the beneficial effects of dietary antioxidants on obesity and associated disorders.