Les leçons de SU.VI.MAX : bénéfices et effets délétères des micronutriments antioxydants

SU.VI.MAX study is a double blind randomised trial conducted on 12,741 healthy volunteers over an average period of 7.5 years to test the impact of the daily intake of antioxidants, in nutritional doses taken orally with food, on the incidence of ischemic cardiopathies, cancers and global mortality. Regarding ischemic cardiopathies, no difference was observed between the two groups. However, the risk of developing cancer (all types) in men is reduced by 31 % in the group taken antioxidants. This effect was not observed in women yet the incidence of skin cancer was higher in women with supplementation as compared with those taking placebo. Men with a normal level of PSA at the start, showed a strong and significant decrease in the risk of prostate cancer in the group with supplementation but in men where the level of PSA was ≥ 3 ng/ml at baseline the risk was higher. Antioxidants supplementation did not improve the lipid profile i.e. no effect was found on the risk of developing hypertension, diabetes or metabolic syndromes. The outcomes of SU.VI.MAX study and the available epidemiological results allowed us to better orient public health recommendations towards nutrition advice encouraging the intake of food elements rich in antioxidant vitamins and discouraging at the same time, long term supplementation with high doses especially in people at risk to develop cancer.