Vitamin C Counters Damage Caused by Passive Smoking

Exposure to smoke in a close environment is thought to increase a non-smokers’ risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. Sometimes athletes are unavoidably exposed to passive smoking. A new study has revealed that Vitamin C supplementation may help prevent the damage caused by passive smoking.

Vitamin C Counters Damage Caused by Passive Smoking

Researchers from the University of California in Berkeley investigated the effect of antioxidants on oxidative stress in 67 passive smokers. This study discovered that non-smokers who took a daily vitamin C supplement (500-miligrams per day) significantly reduced their blood levels of a biomarker for lipid oxidative damage (F2-isoprostane).

The scientists controlled for baseline levels of antioxidants, they excluded people from this study that consumed a high intake of fruit and vegetables. Cholesterol profiles, transferrin saturation, and C-reactive protein were also taken into account.

In the vitamin C group, oxidative stress decreased significantly by 12.7% compared with the placebo group. These results suggest that a daily vitamin C supplement could protect people from the damaging effects of passive smoke.