[Effects of multi-nutrients supplementation on the nutritional status and antioxidant capability of healthy adults]

To determine whether daily multivitamins/minerals supplement can improve nutrient status, plasma, antioxidant enzymes activity and total antioxidant capacity in healthy adults.

One hundred and fifty-one healthy adults living in a normal lifestyle with a mean age of 28 (20 - 50) years were recruited from Guangzhou. The subjects were divided into the supplement group and the control ineral supplements.

One hundred and fifty-one healthy adults living in a normal lifestyle with a mean age of 28 (20 - 50) years were recruited from Guangzhou. The subjects were divided into the supplement group and the control group carefully matched with age and gender. Supplement pellets (consisted of multivitamins/minerals, including VitA, VitC, VitE,Ca, Zn, Fe, Se, etc.) and placebo pellets (consisted of only dextrin with the same color, shape and size as the supplement pellets) were administrated in a double-blinded manner for 8 week. The nutrients intake data of the research subjects were collected daily by a 24-hour dietary recall method. Blood samples were collected at the beginning and the end of the intervention period for determining the nutritional status, the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the products of oxidative damage.

The dietary intake of nutrients was insufficient in these subjects. The levels of plasma VitC, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, Zn, Fe and Se in the supplement group were increased in comparison with the control group by 46%, 28%, 116%, 7%, 30% and 28% respectively (P < 0.05), indicating that the nutritional status regarding antioxidant nutrients had largely been improved. But levels of plasma gamma-tocopherol were decreased by 25% in comparison with the control group (P < 0.05). The activities of GPX, CAT and T-AOC were increased in comparison with the control group and before the supplementation (P < 0.05), while the activities of SOD and the level of 8-isoprostanes remained steady.

Supplementation of multiple micronutrients could effectively increase the levels of plasma VitC, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, Zn, Fe and Se and the activities of GPX, CAT and T-AOC.