Fasting blood samples were taken at the beginning of the study and after 8weeks to measure homocysteine ( Hcy ) , inflammatory factors including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( hs-CRP ) , nitric oxide ( NO ) , biomarkers of oxidative stress including total antioxidant capacity ( TAC ) , glutathione ( GSH ) , malondialdehyde ( MDA ) and homoeostatic model assessment-beta cell function ( HOMA-B ) .