Vitamin c saves lives

[Anth]

http://www.chiro.org/nutrition/ABSTRACTS/Vitamin_C_Lengthen-
s.shtml Prior to December 1999, the researchers observed how
many people died of cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart
disease, cancer, and all causes in each of the serum
ascorbic acid quintiles. In every case (except for women at
risk of cancer), death rates were significantly lower among
those with higher serum ascorbic acid levels. People with
the highest ascorbic acid levels had half the risk of dying
from all causes combined. The chances of dying from
cardiovascular disease were reduced by 71 percent in men and
59 percent in women in the group with the highest ascorbic
acid levels compared with the lowest. The results were
virtually the same when smokers and supplements users were
eliminated from the analysis (one-third of the men and half
the women took nutritional supplements). Anth

[Peter Moran]

"Anth" <anon@anon.com> wrote in message
news:Ur2dndoevuNzqnXdRVn-gQ@nildram.net...
> http://www.chiro.org/nutrition/ABSTRACTS/Vitamin_C_Length-
> ens.shtml Prior to December 1999, the researchers observed
> how many people died of cardiovascular disease, ischemic
> heart disease, cancer, and all causes in each of the serum
> ascorbic acid quintiles. In every case (except for women
> at risk of cancer), death rates were significantly lower
> among those with higher serum ascorbic acid levels. People
> with the highest ascorbic acid levels had half the risk of
> dying from all causes combined. The chances of dying from
> cardiovascular disease were reduced by 71 percent in men
> and 59 percent in women in the group with the highest
> ascorbic acid levels
compared
> with the lowest. The results were virtually the same when
> smokers and supplements users were eliminated from the
> analysis (one-third of the men and half the women took
> nutritional supplements). Anth
>
>

Another of several recent studies that suggest that if
higher vitamin C intake is beneficial in itself,
independently of other factors affecting the health of those
with high vitamin C intake, it is *still* better to get it
from the diet than from supplements (note the last sentence
above --- supplement use actually contributed little.)

This is a further extract from the abstract with their
recommendations -----

"The relation with mortality was continuous through the
whole distribution of ascorbic acid concentrations. 20
µmol/L rise in plasma ascorbic acid concentration,
equivalent to about 50 g per day increase in fruit and
vegetable intake, was associated with about a 20%
reduction in risk of all-cause mortality (p<0·0001),
independent of age, systolic blood pressure, blood
cholesterol, cigarette smoking habit, diabetes, and
supplement use. Ascorbic acid was inversely related to
cancer mortality in men but not women.

Interpretation: Small increases in fruit and vegetable
intake of about one serving daily has encouraging prospects
for possible prevention of disease."

Actually the broad range of effects noted above is almost
too good to be true. It, together with the fact that
supplements did little extra, suggests that vitamin C levels
may be mainly just a surrogate measure of a healthy
lifestyle in other respects, including diet.

Peter Moran