ABSTRACT

         Background and Objective: Vitamins C and E are  the two main antioxidants involved in prevention of type 2 diabetes, by reducing oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of vitamins C and E supplementation independently, on serum levels of insulin, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and resistin in people with type 2 diabetes.

        Methods: In this study, 38 patients with type 2 diabetes (17 men and 21 women) received 1,000 mg/day vitamin C, and 40 patients with type 2 diabetes (21 men and 19 women) received 400 IU/day vitamin E orally. Fasting blood glucose and lipid profile were measured using enzymatic method. Hs-CRP was measured by immunoturbidimetric method, and serum insulin and resistin levels were measured by ELISA.

         Results: total cholesterol, triglycerides, hs-CRP, insulin and resistin significantly were reduced after vitamin C supplementation (P<0.001). Moreover, the level of total cholesterol (P =0.018), low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides and hs-CRP significantly changed after vitamin E supplementation (P=0.001).

          Conclusion: The daily intake of 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 400 IU of vitamin E may be useful in reducing diabetic complications by decreasing serum levels of hs-CRP and lipid profile in people with type 2 diabetes.