Effect of short-term lycopene supplementation and postprandial dyslipidemia on plasma antioxidants and biomarkers of endothelial health in young, healthy individuals.

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the effect of a high-fat meal (HFm) on plasma lipid-soluble antioxidants and biomarkers of vascular oxidative stress and inflammation would be attenuated by short-term lycopene supplementation in young healthy subjects. Following restriction of lycopene-containing foods for 1-wk (LYr), blood was collected in a fasting state and 3 h after a HFm and a low-fat meal (LFm) in N = 18 men aged 23 +/- 2 years, and after a HFm only in N = 9 women aged 23 +/- 1 years. Blood was also sampled pre- and post-meals following 1-wk of 80 mg/day lycopene supplementation (LYs) under continued dietary LYr.