Secondhand smoke protection - Brief Article

Better Nutrition, Nov, 2003

A new California study concludes that vitamin C may help reduce oxidative stress in people exposed to secondhand smoke.

It has been well established in several test tube studies that vitamin C quenches reactive free radicals from cigarette smoke--but that doesn't prove that the vitamin serves the same function in the human body. Few studies have looked at the effects of vitamin C in people who inhale secondhand smoke.

The new study examined 67 patients, who were divided into three groups--one taking vitamin C, one taking vitamins E and C, and one taking a placebo.

The researchers tested for levels of a reliable and sensitive biomarker of oxidative stress or cell damage known as F2-isoprostanes. It was found that both the vitamin C and the C-E groups experienced 11-12 percent declines of the biomarker compared to the placebo group. But despite the encouraging results, researchers caution against misinterpreting the study's findings.

"The message of the study is clearly not that taking vitamin C makes smoking of exposing others to smoke okay," said principal investigator, Gladys Block, PhD, of the University of Califonia at Berkeley.

"But, if you are in a situation where you cannot escape frequent exposure to secondhand smoke, it may be worthwhile to take vitamin C supplements as a precautionary measure. And, as always, eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables."

The University of California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program sponsored the study along with the National Institutes of Health. It was published in the August 5, 2003 issue of the journal Nutrition and Cancer.

Cigarette smoke contains free radicals, molecules that can cause damage to cells. Current research links oxidative stress to heart disease, cancer, atherosclerosis, and other diseases. The new study should not be interpreted to mean that vitamin C will prevent smoke-related heart disease of cancer.