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Action on Smoking and Health
A National Legal-Action Antismoking Organization Entirely Supported by Tax-Deductible Contributions
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Study: Vitamin C May Help ETS Damage [08/06-2]
Excerpts from: Study: Vitamin C May Cut Second-Hand Smoke Damage
By Maggie Fox Health-Reuters
[08/05/03]
Vitamin C may help prevent the damage caused by second-hand tobacco smoke,
offering a way for people to protect themselves from smokers in their lives,
U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
A small study of 67 nonsmokers exposed to environmental smoke showed those who
took 500 mg of vitamin C daily had lower levels of a compound linked to the
damage done by tobacco smoke.
One group took 500 mg of vitamin C a day, a second group took vitamin C, vitamin E and the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), and a third group took daily placebo capsules.
After two months, blood levels of F2-isoprostanes dropped by 11.4 percent for the vitamin C group compared with those taking the dummy capsule, and 12 percent for the C plus E plus ALA group.
The message of the study is clearly not that taking vitamin C makes smoking
or exposing others to smoke OK," she said. "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."
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