Vitamins C and E are important essential, diet-derived antioxidants. Plasma vitamin and lipid peroxidation values (conjugated dienes of fatty acids) were measured in an ethnic Romany minority group (n = 149) and compared with a majority group (n = 197). The average vitamin C level is significantly reduced in Romanies with 34 % of individual values over the threshold vs. 59 % in the majority group. Overthreshold antioxidant values mean a reduced risk of free radical disease. Lower vitamin C values in the Romany group are a consequence of insufficient consumption of fruit and vegetables, smoking and a low educational level (limited knowledge about protective effect of mentioned food commodities). In Romanies higher occurrence of vitamin C/vitamin E values and vitamin E/triacylglycerol values below threshold (33 % vs. 20 % and 49 % vs. 32 %) was observed that means a higher rate of imbalance of vitamin C-vitamin E-triacylglycerol relationships. Antioxidant-prooxidant imbalance of protective factors (vitamins C and E), and on the other hand substrates for lipid peroxidation (triacylglycerols- polyunsaturated fatty acids) in Romanies is expressed as a significantly increased average conjugated diene value and 48 % increased individual values vs. 36 % in the majority group. An incorrect lifestyle induces the antioxidant imbalance in the Romany population.

        Key words: vitamin C, vitamin E, Romany population, majority population