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Vitamin C and Disease Prevention

Posted by Blog Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Good general advice for disease prevention is to eat at least five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables daily. It is likely, but not certain, that additional supplemental vitamin C can further lower the risk of some diseases, especially if abundant fresh fruits and vegetables are not a regular part of the diet.


VITAMIN C AND HEART DISEASE
There is some controversy over whether vitamin C can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Some studies have found no correlation. However, large studies have shown that vitamin C intakes of 400 to 700 mg per day reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by about 25 percent. These studies followed more than a quarter of a million people for at least ten years.


Vitamin C may lower the risk of:
Coronary heart disease.

Cancer.

Cataracts.

High lead levels.


VITAMIN C AND CANCER
Vitamin C is well known to reduce the risk of contracting a wide variety of cancers. In many cases, a healthy diet can provide enough vitamin C to be protective against cancer. This is the basis for the dietary guidelines endorsed by the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which recommend at least five servings of fruit and vegetables daily. Study results vary widely for breast cancer with some studies showing no protective effect and other studies showing a strong protective effect with intakes over 200 mg per day. Many studies have shown that higher intakes of vitamin C are associated with decreased incidence of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, colon, and lungs.


VITAMIN C, CATARACTS, AND LEAD
Cataracts are a major cause of visual impairment, especially as people age. Not all studies have shown a protective effect on cataracts from vitamin C. There may be decreased severity of cataracts if vitamin C intake exceeds 300 mg daily for many years.

The heavy metal lead is associated with many health problems, especially in children. Blood levels of lead are generally lower when vitamin C intake is higher .


More about C-Vitamin:

Vitamin C The Citrus Antioxidant

Most Popular Supplement

Biosynthesis of Vitamin C

Collagen and Vitamin C

Vitamin C as an Antioxidant

Vitamin C, Infections, and the Common Cold

Vitamin C and Disease Prevention

Other Roles of Vitamin C

Vitamin C Food Sources

Supplemental Forms of Vitamin C

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