Vitamin C Supplements Reduce Second-Hand Smoke Lung Damage

Supplementary vitamin C may help to prevent lung-damage caused by passive smoking, say researchers from the University of California at Berkeley. Marion Dietrich and colleagues found that non-smokers exposed to environmental cigarette smoke who took 500 mg of vitamin c each day had lower levels of a compound linked to tissue-damage caused by cigarette smoke. The 67 non-smoking participants were randomly assigned to three groups. The first took 500 mg of vitamin C a day, while the second took a combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, and the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). The third group were given an inactive placebo. Two months later, the researchers tested the participants’ blood for levels of F2-isoprostanes, a by-product of a type of oxidative stress called lipid peroxidation. Results showed that compared with the placebo group, blood levels of F2-isoprostanes dropped by 11.4% in those taking vitamin C alone, and 12% in those taking the combination of vitamins C,E and ALA. Dietrich concluded: "The message of the study is clearly not that taking vitamin C makes smoking or exposing others to smoke OK. But, if you are in a situation where you cannot escape frequent exposure to second-hand smoke, it may be worthwhile to take vitamin C supplements as a precautionary measure. And, as always, eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables."

SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 6th August 2003