Blood cells as functional markers of antioxidant vitamin status.

Antioxidants have shown beneficial effects in several biological systems, in which they were able to prevent oxidative stress-associated damage. Vitamins C and E are key antioxidants in man. Dietary intake cannot accurately reflect plasma vitamin levels. However, the plasma levels of antioxidant vitamins could also reflect the acute assimilation of these vitamins. It has been pointed out that antioxidant vitamin blood contents reach a saturation level by intake of dietary supplements. Antioxidant vitamin plasma levels are the parameter most used to determine antioxidant status. However, the vitamin plasma levels may not reflect the nutritional status of vitamins. It has been pointed out that the vitamin E in adipose tissue can be used as a measure of vitamin E status. To determinate antioxidant vitamin contents in lymphocytes and neutrophils after exercise is a useful tool to assess the functional status of antioxidant vitamins.