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Vitamin C Keeps Lungs Healthy



STUDY: Get your C

JOURNAL: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2002;165:1299-1303.

AUTHORS: Tricia M. McKeever

ABSTRACT: An orange a day may help keep lung disease away.




COMMENTARY: In the study, researchers confirmed that people who consume high levels of vitamin C and magnesium tend to have healthier lungs. And for the first time, the research showed that people with high levels of vitamin C intake experience less decline in lung function over time.

By minimizing the decline in lung function as time passes, a diet containing lots of foods rich in vitamin C may lower the odds of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Mounting evidence suggests that vitamin C and other antioxidant vitamins and minerals may be involved in asthma and COPD, a group of illnesses that includes bronchitis and emphysema. Exactly how antioxidants keep lungs healthy is uncertain, though they are known to neutralize DNA-ravaging compounds called free radicals that contribute to aging and disease.

This entry was posted on January 12th, 2004 at 07:51:00 am and is filed under Prior Clinic Blog.