Monday May 5, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A review released recently in Obesity Review - Obesity Comorbidity/Etiology and Pathophysiology suggests that antioxidant vitamin supplementation can help endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Mr. D. Montero at Avignon University in Avignon, France and colleagues conducted the review and found antioxidant vitamin supplements did not help improve endometrial function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who also suffered obesity, but did help those diabetics who were not obese.

The researchers searched databases MEDLINE, Cochrane, Scopus and Web of Science for relevant trials published through Feb 2013 and meta-analyzed data from 10 trials and quantified the effect of antioxidant vitamin supplementation on endothelial function in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

The analysis revealed no statistical significant difference in endothelial function between type 2 diabetics who took antioxidant vitamin supplements and controls who did not take the dietary supplements.

However, post-interventional endothelial function was found significantly improved by antioxidant vitamin supplementation in type 2 diabetes mellitus group with body mass index smaller than 29.45 kg m-2, meaning that antioxidant supplementation did seem to provide a protective effect in the non-obese type 2 diabetics.  And antioxidant vitamin supplementation did not help improve endothelial function in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who suffered obesity or had body mass index of greater than 29.45 kg/m2.

The researchers concluded "Prolonged antioxidant vitamin E and/or C supplementation could be effective to improve endothelial function in non-obese T2DM (type 2 diabetes mellitus) subjects."

Endothelial function is a physiological state of the endothelium (the inner lining of blood vessels) and has something to do with coagulation, platelet adhesion, immunity and control of volume and electrolytes of the intravascular and extravascular spaces.

Endothelial dysfunction can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease and the condition is more commonly found in patients suffering diseases including hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, septic shock, Behcet's disease, and environmental factors such as smoking and air pollution.

Antioxidants such as berberine have been found to help type 2 diabetes mellitus.  In type 2 diabetes mellitus, oxidative stress is high and oxidation end products such as aldehydes derived from lipids can damage endothelial function and increase risk of atherosclerosis. (David Liu)

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