A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition (2005; 59(12):1367–1373) examined antioxidant status and inflammatory markers in 48 patients following an acute ischemic stroke. Within 12 hours of the stroke event, participants were randomly assigned to receive either a combination of vitamin E (800 IU) and vitamin C (500 mg) or a placebo. Supplementation continued for a period of 14 days.
At the end of the study period, participants receiving vitamins E and C had higher plasma levels of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid compared with the placebo group. The treatment group also demonstrated higher total antioxidant capacity and lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation. The authors noted that these findings were consistent with an anti-inflammatory effect associated with antioxidant supplementation in the acute post-stroke setting.
