Search resultsModerate alcohol consumption and levels of antioxidant vitamins and isoprostanes in postmenopausal women
Title
Moderate alcohol consumption and levels of antioxidant vitamins and isoprostanes in postmenopausal women
Publication type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2005
Authors
Journal
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Volume
59
Issue
2
Pagination
161 - 168
Date published
2005
ISBN
09543007 (ISSN)
Keywords
8 isoprostaglandin F2 alpha, Adult, alcohol, alcohol consumption, Alcohol Drinking, alcoholic beverage, alpha tocopherol, alpha tocopherylquinone, antioxidant, Antioxidants, article, ascorbic acid, Biological Markers, body mass, breast cancer, breast carcinogenesis, Breast Neoplasms, cancer risk, Cholesterol, cholesterol blood level, controlled study, Cross-Over Studies, diet restriction, Ethanol, Female, food intake, gamma tocopherol, human, human experiment, Humans, Isoprostanes, lipid peroxidation, Middle Aged, normal human, oxidative stress, placebo, postmenopause, risk factor, Risk Factors, selenium, vitamin, vitamin blood level, Vitamin E
Abstract
Background: Although alcohol intake has been positively associated with breast cancer risk in epidemiologic studies, the mechanisms mediating this association are speculative. Objective: The Postmenopausal Women's Alcohol Study was designed to explore the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on potential risk factors for breast cancer. In the present analysis, we evaluated the relationship of alcohol consumption with antioxidant nutrients and a biomarker of oxidative stress. Design: Participants (n = 53) consumed a controlled diet plus each of three treatments (15 or 30 g alcohol/day or a no-alcohol placebo beverage), during three 8-week periods in random order. We measured the antioxidants, vitamin E (alpha (α)- and gamma (γ-tocopherols), selenium, and vitamin C in fasting blood samples which were collected at the end of diet periods, treated and frozen for assay at the end of the study. We also measured 15-F2t-IsoP isoprostane, produced by lipid peroxidation, which serves as an indicator of oxidative stress and may serve as a biomarker for conditions favorable to carcinogenesis. Results: After adjusting for BMI (all models) and total serum cholesterol (tocopherol and isoprostane models) we observed a significant 4.6% decrease (P=0.02) in α-tocopherol and a marginally significant 4.9% increase (P = 0.07) in isoprostane levels when women consumed 30 g alcohol/day (P = 0.06 and 0.05 for overall effect of alcohol on α-tocopherol and isoprostanes, respectively). The other antioxidants were not significantly modified by the alcohol treatment. Conclusions: These results suggest that moderate alcohol consumption increases some biomarkers of oxidative stress in postmenopausal women.