Vitamin C

BACKGROUND: There are some animal studies suggesting the possible role of vitamin C for treating depression. However, the efficacy of vitamin C for treating adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) has never been examined. METHODS: This 8-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial included adult patients with major depressive disorder according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Twenty-one patients in the treatment group received citalopram plus vitamin C and the 22 patients in the control group received citalopram plus placebo...

IMPORTANCE: Maternal smoking during pregnancy adversely affects offspring lung development, with lifelong decreases in pulmonary function and increased asthma risk. In a primate model, vitamin C blocked some of the in-utero effects of nicotine on lung development and offspring pulmonary function. OBJECTIVE: To determine if newborns of pregnant smokers randomized to receive daily vitamin C would have improved results of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and decreased wheezing compared with those randomized to placebo...

Controversy exists among trials assessing whether prolonged antioxidant vitamin supplementation improves endothelial function in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects. The aim of this study was to systematically review and quantify the effect of antioxidant vitamin supplementation on endothelial function in T2DM subjects. MEDLINE, Cochrane, Scopus and Web of Science were searched up to February 2013 for randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of antioxidant vitamin E and/or C supplementation on endothelial function in T2DM subjects...

OBJECTIVE: Prior research has suggested the possible role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Prospective data examining dietary antioxidants such carotenoids and vitamin C are limited. METHODS: Risk of ALS associated with carotenoid and vitamin C intake was investigated in 5 prospective cohorts: the National Institutes of Health-Association of American Retired Persons Diet and Health Study, the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, the Multiethnic Cohort, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), and the Nurses Health Study (NHS)...

BACKGROUND: In observational studies, increased vitamin C intake, vitamin C supplementation, and higher blood concentrations of vitamin C are associated with lower blood pressure (BP). However, evidence for blood pressure-lowering effects of vitamin C in clinical trials is inconsistent. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials that examined the effects of vitamin C supplementation on BP. DESIGN: We searched Medline, EMBASE, and Central databases from 1966 to 2011...

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress has been proposed as a mechanism linking the poor placental perfusion characteristic of preeclampsia with the clinical manifestations of the disorder. We assessed the effects of antioxidant supplementation with vitamins C and E, initiated early in pregnancy, on the risk of serious adverse maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes related to pregnancy-associated hypertension. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial involving nulliparous women who were at low risk for preeclampsia...