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More reasons to get some Cs
Vitamin can help the body reduce histamines, boost energy and mop up toxins
By Janet Helm
Add a few more reasons to drink your OJ in the morning. Researchers have discovered some new roles for vitamin C.
New studies suggest that the nutrient may:
Help ease allergy and asthma symptoms;
Charge up your workouts;
Neutralize certain toxins in the body to help prevent cancer and heart disease.
Despite the growing understanding of the virtues of vitamin C, a surprising number of Americans may not be getting enough.
Breathing easier
Carol Johnston, professor of nutrition at Arizona State University in Mesa, has conducted three studies that show vitamin C can help lower levels of histamines in our blood, good news for folks suffering from allergies and asthma. (Histamine is the substance that causes allergy symptoms--bringing on the congestion, sneezing and itching that plague sufferers.)
Johnston also has conducted research that points to vitamin C as a potential energy booster. "Let's say you go to the gym and get on the treadmill, but just don't have the energy to perform," Johnston said. "We've all experienced it, a decreased vigor."
Johnston suggests this feeling might have more to do with a lack of vitamin C than lack of motivation. Her research has linked vitamin C depletion to low levels of muscle carnitine, a substance that helps your body burn fat for energy.
People are likely to have up to a 50 percent drop in muscle carnitine levels when they're vitamin C-depleted, she said.
Women she studied who were low in vitamin C did much better on treadmill tests after they were given extra vitamin C. "They felt better and were more energetic," she said.
Potential disease fighter
The role of vitamin C in fighting disease goes beyond its function as an antioxidant--a nutrient that helps reign in free radicals, which are rogue molecules that can increase the risk of cancer and heart disease.
Scientists at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University found that vitamin C also protects against toxic compounds that can form when fat is metabolized--preventing the genetic damage or inflammation that these "oxidized lipids" can cause.
Oxidized lipids are simply rancid fats in our body that have been damaged by free radicals. Just as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is used to preserve foods (preventing discoloration and rancidity) it also appears to exert similar powers in the body.
"This is a previously unrecognized function for vitamin C in the human body," said co-author Fred Stevens, an assistant professor at the Linus Pauling Institute. "It appears to be a major pathway that the body uses to get rid of the toxic byproducts of fat metabolism."
Stevens said vitamin C reacts with these byproducts to neutralize them--"mopping" up the toxins before they do damage.
The oxidation of fats has been the focus of considerable research in recent years, not just for its potential connection to cancer and heart disease, but other conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes and lupus.
While we need oxygen to live, it also is the major source of free radicals. Exposure to various environmental factors, including tobacco smoke and radiation, also can lead to free radical formation.
Free radicals trigger fat oxidation and inflammation, as well as other potential cell damage that can lead to cancer. For example, LDL or "bad" cholesterol in blood that gets damaged by free radicals is more inclined to build up in artery walls, which can lead to heart disease or stroke, explained Blaz Frei, director of the institute and co-author of the new study.
The Oregon scientists said that the findings may lead to new "biomarkers," or biological signs, that can be useful in identifying oxidative stress in the body--providing an indicator of people who may be at increased risk of certain chronic diseases.
Vitamin C shortages
Reasons to reach for vitamin C-rich foods appear to be growing, but as many as one in three of us may not be getting enough vitamin C, according to Johnston. Her recent investigation found that 12 percent of adult women in the U.S. are deficient in vitamin C. They had blood levels so low that they actually had early signs of scurvy, a vitamin C deficiency disease associated with 18th Century sailors who died after long journeys without fruits and vegetables.
Johnston's study also found that an additional 20 percent of adult women were vitamin C depleted, meaning that they did not meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance or RDA for the nutrient. The shortages were most common among people who ate less than one serving of fruits and vegetables a day, she said.
Your daily dose
Despite the newly revealed vitamin C benefits, it's not a green light to load up on vitamin C supplements. The best way to get the vitamin C you need is by eating more fruits and vegetables, advised antioxidant expert John Erdman, professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The clinical trials using vitamin C supplements to explore the nutrient's role in reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease have been "very disappointing," Erdman said. The only clear pattern of risk reduction is when researchers have looked at fruit and vegetable consumption, he said.
According to Erdman, who served on the panel that established the recommended daily intakes for vitamin C and other antioxidants, the answer is simple: Load up daily on "whole" foods like fruits and vegetables. They contain a complex mixture of vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals and other compounds that can't be captured in a pill.
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A papaya a day or ...
Because vitamin C is water-soluble and can't be stored in the body for later use, it's best to eat foods rich in the nutrient daily. The recommended daily intake is 75 milligrams for women and 90 milligrams for men (add an extra 35 milligrams for smokers). You can easily meet that by eating an array of fruits and vegetables each day. Remember, 9 servings or 4 1/2 cups is your new daily goal, according to the federal government's dietary guidelines.
FOOD VITAMIN C
Papaya (1) 188 mg Red bell pepper (1/2 cup raw) 141 Guava (1) 126 Orange juice (1 cup) 106 Cantaloupe (1/2) 102 Strawberries (1 cup sliced) 94 Grapefruit juice (1 cup) 83 Broccoli (1 cup cooked) 82 Brussels sprouts (1 cup cooked) 71 Kiwi (1) 70 Cauliflower (1 cup cooked) 55 Grapefruit, pink (1/2) 47 Tangerine (1) 26 Baked potato with skin (1) 26 Tomato (1) 23 Source: USDA Nutritive Value of Foods
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