Vitamins E plus C and interacting conutrients required for optimal health A critical and constructive review of epidemiology and supplementation data regarding cardiovascular disease and cancer

Antioxidants are crucial components of fruit/vegetable-rich diets preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer: - plasma vitamins C, E, carotenoids from diet correlate prevalence of CVD and cancer inversely, low levels predict an increased risk of individuals which is potentiated by combined inadequacy (e. g., vitamins C+E, C+carotene, A+carotene); - self-prescribed rectification of vitamins C and E at adequacy of other micronutrients reduce forthcoming CVD, of vitamins A, C, E, carotene and conutrients also cancer; - randomized exclusive supplementation of beta-carotene +/- vitamin A or E lack benefits except prostate cancer reduction by vitamin E, and overall cancer reduction by selenium; - randomized intervention with synchronous rectification of vitamins A+C+E+B+ minerals reduces CVD and counteracts precancerous lesions; - high vitamin E supplements reveal potentials in secondary CVD prevention. Plasma values desirable for primary prevention: >= 30 mu mol/l lipid-standardized vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol/cholesterol >= 5.0 mu mol/mmol); >= 50 mu mol/l vitamin C aiming at vitamin C/vitamin E ratio >1.3-1.5; >= 0.4 mu mol/l beta- (>= 0.5 mu mol/l alpha+beta-) carotene. - in CVD vitamin E acts as first risk discriminator, vitamin C as second one; - optimal health requires synchronously optimized vitamins C+E, A, carotenoids and vegetable conutrients.