Table 1.
Main advantages and disadvantages of blood, urine, and saliva collection and of measuring markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant status in these body fluids.
| Blood collection | Urine collection | Saliva collection | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advantages | Stable environment Collectible in sufficient amounts Established referenced values |
Noninvasive, without stress Easy to collect at home Easy to collect in sufficient amounts Inexpensive and fast collection No risk of infection Low organic/inorganic metal amount: no artificial increase of oxidative stress |
Noninvasive, without stress Easy to collect at home Inexpensive and fast collection No risk of infection Low organic/inorganic metal amount: no artificial increase of oxidative stress |
|
| |||
| Disadvantages | Invasive and stressful Risk of vessel injury and infection Requires equipment Requires a trained staff Time consuming Organic/inorganic metals present: artificial increase of oxidative stress |
Not established (missing reference values) High variability (hydration status, gender, age, weight, local changes, etc.) |
Not established (missing reference values) High variability (flow rate, hydration status, gender, age, weight, blood contamination, local changes, etc.) |