Antioxidants: do they have a role in the treatment of insulin resistance?

Insulin resistance, defined as an attenuated or inadequate response to a given amount of insulin, is associated with a wide variety of conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, essential hypertension, cardiovascular disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver, breast cancer, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Although pharmacological options for the management of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes have been increasing, not all patients benefit, as the cost of prescription medications is often beyond the financial capacity of many patients. A potential new approach is the use of antioxidants. The objectives of this review are to discuss the scientific rationale for proposing the evaluation of antioxidants for insulin resistance, and to provide an update of intervention studies, with an emphasis on clinical trials, in which antioxidants have been tested. Briefly, this approach capitalizes on emerging data implicating lipid oversupply, chronic, lowgrade inflammation, and oxidative stress as root causes in the development and exacerbation of insulin resistance.