Micronutrient antioxidants and smoking

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor in such human diseases as cardiovascular disease (especially atherosclerosis), lung cancer (the leading world-wide cancer killer), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ¹ . An avalanche of studies has suggested that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is associated with decreased risk for atherosclerosis and cancer ^2,3 . However, the dietary intake of fruits and vegetables, as well as antioxidant micronutrients, is decreased in smokers ⁴ . This, along with evidence of increased utilization of ascorbic acid ^5,6 and a-tocopherol ⁷ , possibly on the basis of increased oxidative stress, contributes to the low plasma antioxidant concentrations seen in many smokers ⁸ . This review addresses selected mechanistic considerations of this relationship.