PLASMA ANTIOXIDANT MICRO NUTRIENTS LEVEL OF APPARENTLY HEALTHY ADULTS AFTER A DIETARY INTERVENTION BASED ON AGE AND GENDER IN NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI, NIGERIA

Immunologic functions, particularly cell-mediated immunity, declines with age, contributing to the increased incidence of infectious diseases in the elderly. The study looked at vitamin C, vitamin E, and a-carotene levels in plasma of 150 healthy adults of 96 men and 54 women aged between 30 and 74 years. The subjects were randomly grouped into three at baseline for further dietary studies. Either 1 capsule per day of antioxidant nutraceuticai (Forever living product) (containing vitamin E 10 mg, vitamin C 60mg and a- carotene 2000 meg of vitamin A) or cheap and affordable indigenous antioxidant functional foods of equivalent vitamin composition oforanges, carrots, and soybean bottled water. The first dose was dispensed and followed up for six months. The result showed that the vit C, E and a- concentration of antioxidant treated groups were or carotene positively influenced titan the placebo group Gm 1 CAT m Grp 3 (AT-F). was affected more positively than the ant oxidant' Grp 2 (AT-N) Vitamin C, E, and a-carotene concentrations of the elderly are beyond reference/norma] range of blood p|asma.