The Antioxidant Potential of Vitamins and Their Implication in Metabolic Abnormalities

Vitamins are micronutrients necessary for the normal function of the body. Although each vitamin has different physicochemical properties and a specific role in maintaining life, they may also possess a common characteristic, i.e., antioxidant activity. Oxidative stress can harm all the main biological structures leading to protein, DNA and lipid oxidation, with concomitant impairment of the cell. It has been established that oxidative stress is implicated in several pathological conditions such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, inflammation and metabolic syndrome. In this review we investigate the influence of oxidative stress on the above conditions, examine the interrelation between oxidative stress and inflammation and point out the importance of vitamins in these processes, especially in oxidative load manipulation and metabolic abnormalities.