Alterations of antioxidant status in asymptomatic hypercholesterolemic individuals after resveratrol intake.

High cholesterol is one of the risk factors for atherogenesis, leading to oxidative stress and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The focus of this study was to evaluate the role and the pathways of action of a natural antioxidant, resveratrol, in asymptomatic hypercholesterolemic (AHC) individuals. Forty healthy AHCs and normocholesterolemics (NCs) participated in the study. They received random-order resveratrol and placebo capsules for four weeks. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), vitamin E and total cholesterol (TC) were measured at baseline and at the end of each intervention. Resveratrol provided a direct antioxidant effect in healthy NC individuals, but in AHC individuals, with a higher demand for antioxidant activity due to higher cholesterol levels, it acted by facilitating an increase in vitamin E. Our findings suggest that resveratrol acts synergistically with other antioxidants against oxidative stress and highlights the importance of hypercholesterolemic individuals consuming natural antioxidants instead of medications to reduce the risk of CVD, while the situation is still reversible.