Nutrition Noteworthy

Although experimental studies show substantial evidence for a role of dietary antioxidants in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, findings from epidemiological studies for a protective effect of vitamin C have been inconclusive. Cross-cultural studies have shown evidence that low plasma concentrations of vitamin C may increase risk of coronary heart disease and may possibly play a protective role in preventing manifestations of existing coronary artery disease. However, other studies have shown that low plasma concentration of vitamin C is not associated with increased risk of atherosclerotic disease. The disparities observed in several epidemiological studies has led to a lack of consensus as to whether vitamin C does indeed play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, as proposed through experimental evidence. Although many of these studies suffer from the limitations of observational studies in populations, they provide impetus for further exploration in conjunction with experimental studies to determine vitamin C's role in disease prevention.