Decreasing oxidative stress with choline and carnitine in women.
OBJECTIVE
Fatty acid oxidation is predominantly a mitochondrial event, which is enhanced by dietary choline and carnitine supplementation resulting in extra reactive oxygen species (ROS) load. The objective was to assess oxidative stress level by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS] in choline and carnitine supplemented healthy women before and after mild exercise.


METHODS
Nineteen free-living women completed the placebo control study in which choline and/or L-carnitine was orally taken for 21 days. Anthropometric measurements, dietary recall, exercise routine and blood samples were analyzed to determine body composition, nutrients intake, distance walked and biochemical markers related to oxidative stress.


RESULTS
TBARS were significantly lower in the groups supplemented with choline, carnitine or both and the mild exercise (walking) was not a deterrent in this effect of the supplements. Serum vitamin A and E concentrations were higher in the supplemented groups even though the consumption of these nutrients was not different among the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Choline and carnitine supplementation lowers lipid peroxidation, and promotes conservation of retinol and alpha-tocopherol in free-living women.
Sachan
Dileep S
DS
Nutrition Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-1920, USA. dsachan@utk.edu
Hongu
Nobuko
N
Johnsen
Maike
M
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002331:Carnitine / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002794:Choline / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015930:Diet Records; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology; D008082:Lipotropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D008082:Lipotropic Agents; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D014801:Vitamin A; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D002794:Choline; D002331:Carnitine