VITAMIN C CAN CUT HARMAFUL
EFFECTS OF AIR
POLLUTION
A diet rich in fruits and veggies may lessen the harmful
effects of air pollution for people suffering from chronic lung diseases,
researchers suggest.Researchers looked at London hospital patients with asthma
or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and found that those with low
levels of vitamin C had an increased risk of breathing problems on days when
outdoor air pollution levels were high.“This study adds to a small but growing
body of evidence that the effects of air pollution might be modified by
antioxidants,” said Michael Brauer, an environmental health scientist at the
University of British Columbia in Canada.Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, may
protect the body from harmful molecules called free radicals that damage cells.
Free radicals can form when air pollution enters the lungs, and evidence
suggests they play a role in heart disease, cancer and even respiratory
ailments.Antioxidants can bind to free radicals, counteracting them before they
damage cells.
In the new study, researchers at Imperial College in
London looked at more than 200 patients admitted to the hospital for asthma or
COPD, along with the levels of air pollution on the days before and after they
entered the hospital. The majority of patients were between ages 54 and 74,
though some were as young as 18. Many of them were former smokers.Specifically,
the researchers looked at levels of “course particulate matter,” which is
produced largely through the combustion of fossil fuels.Results showed that
with every increase in course particulate matter of 10 micrograms per cubic
meter (mcg/m3), there was a 35 percent increased risk of hospital admission for
people with asthma or COPD. However, the risk of admission was 1.2 times
greater among people with low levels of vitamin C.Study researcher Cristina
Canova said, “The protective effect of vitamin C was still present after
excluding smokers and elderly subjects, implying that the effect of this
antioxidant was not explained by smoking or age.” However, the study noted that
smokers and older people tend to have lower levels of many nutrients than
nonsmokers.The study is published in the July issue of the journal Epidemiology.
Prof.
John Kurakar
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