FIGURE 4.

An “idealized” analytical tool to assess (e.g., via a capillary blood sample) an individual's systemic antioxidant profile in order to tailor the most optimal nutritional redox treatment. Individual 1 represents a person with low concentrations of GSH and NAD(P)H [e.g., due to dysregulated NAD(P)H redox metabolism]; individual 2 represents a vitamin E–deficient person (e.g., due to malnutrition); individual 3 represents a person with a highly disturbed antioxidant profile (e.g., due to severe illness); individual 4 represents an apparently healthy person with normal antioxidant status who does not need any exogenous antioxidant supplement. C, vitamin C; Car, carotene; E, vitamin E; GSH, reduced glutathione; LA, lipoic acid; N, NAD(P)H; Q10, coenzyme Q10; UA, uric acid.