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The healthy properties and antioxidant activity of smoked paprika in healthy male non-smoking students (age 20.6 ± 1.7 years), from Universidad de Extremadura (Spain), who consumed (2 g/day, 20 times, over 30 days) smoked (La Vera, Extremadura, Spain) or non-smoked (Novelda, Alicante, Spain) paprika were investigated. Anthropometric and cardiovascular measurements and blood and urine samples were taken from overnight fasted subjects for biochemical, hematological, and immunological measurements. The ingestion of smoked paprika increased the urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene (from 38.6 ± 24.9 to 109.2 ± 85.6 nmol/mol; p < 0.05). Plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced after the consumption of either smoked or non-smoked paprika. Plasma lipoperoxidation levels measured both as thiobarbituric acid (3.1 ± 0.5 versus 2.7 ± 0.5 μmol/L; p < 0.05) and as malonaldehyde (0.9 ± 0.4 versus 0.6 ± 0.3 μmol/L; p < 0.01) were reduced after consuming smoked paprika. Plasma levels of carotenoids, lycopenes, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium were similar after the ingestion of smoked or non-smoked paprika. The smoked paprika from La Vera seems to produce an antioxidant effect by enhancing the activity of the endogenous antioxidant defenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]