A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition (2005;59[12]:1367–1373) examined antioxidant supplementation in 48 patients following an acute ischemic stroke. Within 12 hours of the event, participants were given either a combination of vitamin E (800 IU) and vitamin C (500 mg) or a placebo, and supplementation continued for 14 days.
At the end of the two-week period, the treatment group had higher blood levels of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid than the placebo group. They also demonstrated greater total antioxidant capacity and lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation.
These findings suggest that short-term antioxidant supplementation following ischemic stroke may support antioxidant status and reduce inflammatory activity.
