This study wants to evaluate the importance of antioxidant nutrients on the oxidant/antioxidant status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) since free radicals have been involved in the etiology of this condition. 97 patients and 97 age and gender-matched controls participated in this study through a questionnaire about nutrient intake. Moreover, blood samples were obtained from 20 individuals of each group to measure plasma levels of alpha-tocopherol and malondiadehyde (MDA) and plasma activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Patients had a lower mean calorie intake, lower energy-adjusted intake of fat, vitamin A and beta-carotene, lower plasma alpha-tocopherol levels and higher activities of both enzymes compared to healthy control individuals, suggesting that antioxidant nutrient intake has a role in the reduction of free radicals and the improvement of antioxidant status.