THE EFFECT OF NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTION ON BLOOD OXIDATIVE STRESS LEVELS

Antioxidants can be obtained exogenously from the diet [1-4], and optimal oxidative stress levels may be achievable through personalised nutrition. The aim of our work was to develop a simple test for the detection of blood oxidative stress levels, to allow responses to personalised dietary intervention to be monitored. Blueberries were chosen due to their high antioxidant capacity, and oxidative stress was detected by the PMA/luminol method. In our trial, 7 athletes consumed 250g wild Canadian blueberries daily for 12 weeks, followed by a wash-out period of 12 weeks. Innate differences were found between individuals, as well as in response to blueberry consumption; 2 out of the 7 volunteers showed a fast response to the blueberries, and there was a range in the decrease in oxidative stress after 12 weeks of blueberry consumption ranging from 33% to 87%, which continued to decrease in 2 of the volunteers. In addition, the level of mitochondrial DNA damage, as analysed by real-time PCR, correlated with these results. Overall, the chosen method was able to successfully detect differences in oxidative stress levels both between individuals and in response to dietary intervention, which could allow for optimal antioxidant status via personalised nutrition in individuals.