Blisstree » ascorbic-acid

Vitamin C May Slow Down Cancer

ruth — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:17:34 +0000

In an animal trial, injections of high doses of vitamin C have been demonstrated to reduce tumor weight and growth rate by about 50 percent in mouse models of brain, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers.

The NIH researchers, however, tested the idea that ascorbate, when injected at high doses, may have prooxidant instead of antioxidant activity. Prooxidants would generate free radicals and the formation of hydrogen peroxide, which, the scientists hypothesized, might kill tumor cells. In their laboratory experiments on 43 cancer and 5 normal cell lines, the researchers discovered that high concentrations of ascorbate had anticancer effects in 75 percent of cancer cell lines tested, while sparing normal cells. In their paper, the researchers also showed that these high ascorbate concentrations could be achieved in people.

Why injections? Apparently, our bodies precisely regulate the amount of ascorbate absorbed by the body when it is taken orally. So even if you eat lots and lots of oranges and other foods rich in vitamin C, our natural physiology prevents blood levels of ascorbate from exceeding a certain range. Hence, the injection approach.

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Vitamin C May Slow Down Cancer

Higher Plasma Vitamin C Indicates Lower Risk of Stroke

ruth — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:19:23 +0000

Data from a large, prospective epidemiologic study published in this month’s issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition supports previous findings from small-scale investigations on the link between plasma vitamin C concentrations and stroke risk. They found that individuals with high concentrations of vitamin C in the blood plasma had a 42% lower risk of having a stroke compared to those whose plasma Vit C concentrations were in the lower quartile of the study population.

The next question, of course, is how to increase the circulating Vitamin C in your blood. One way is to increase your consumption of fruit and vegetables. Previous studies (see these Medscape and Neurology articles) have shown that a diet rich in fruits and veggies has been linked to a lower risk of stroke.

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Higher Plasma Vitamin C Indicates Lower Risk of Stroke

Citrus Juice Boosts Green Tea’s Health Benefits

ruth — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:24:33 +0000

If you want to make the most out of the health benefits of your green tea, pass on the milk, and add a zest of lemon instead. A preliminary study indicates that citrus juices enable more of green tea’s unique antioxidants to remain after simulated digestion, making the lemon-tea even healthier than previously thought. Using a model simulating gastric and small-intestinal digestion, it has been found that citrus juice enables more catechins to be available in the intestines for absorption. The study has been published this month in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.

Catechins display health-promoting qualities and may be responsible for some of green tea’s reported health benefits, like reduced risk of cancer, heart attack and stroke. The problem, Ferruzzi said, is that catechins are relatively unstable in non-acidic environments, such as the intestines, and less than 20 percent of the total remains after digestion.

Citrus juice increased recovered catechin levels by more than five times, the study found. Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, used to increase shelf life in ready-to-drink products, increased recovered levels of the two most abundant catechins by sixfold and 13-fold, respectively.

Ready-to-drink green tea products should optimally contain 100-200 mg of catechins, but to make the most out of these, they recommend adding some citrus juice to your cuppa or to choose a brand pre-formulated with ascorbic acid.

Source: Purdue University

Post from: Blisstree

Citrus Juice Boosts Green Tea’s Health Benefits