Vitamin C May Reduce Inflammation

Vitamin C May Reduce Inflammation

BERKELEY, Calif.Vitamin C may reduce levels of C-reactive protein(CRP), a marker of chronic inflammation, thereby decreasing the risk of manydiseases including atherosclerosis, according to a newly published study. (JAm Coll Nutr, 23, 2:141-7, 2004) (www.jacn.org).

One-hundred sixty subjects received either 515 mg/d of vitamin C, anantioxidant mixture (containing 515 mg/d of vitamin C, 371 mg/d ofalphatocopherol, 171 mg/d of gamma-tocopherol, 252 mg/d of mixed tocotrienolsand 95 mg/d of alpha-lipoic acid) or placebo for two months. Researchers foundCRP levels decreased 24 percent in subjects receiving vitamin C supplementscompared to subjects receiving placebo, and CRP levels decreased 4.7 percent insubjects receiving the antioxidant mixture compared to placebo.