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EFFICACY STUDIES/ SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES |
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| Influence
Of Environmental Tobacco Smoke On Vitamin
C Status in Children |
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Background: |
It is known that vitamin
C status is compromised in smokers. The vitamin
C status of nonsmokers who are exposed to environmental toba
cco smoke (ETS) is now being elucidated. |
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| Objective: |
We assessed vitamin
C status in children who were either exposed or not exposed
to ETS, and we sought to asso ciate changes in vitamin
C status with the amount of ETS exposure. |
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| Results: |
Plasma as corbate con centrations
were lower, by 3.2 µmol/L on average, in ETS-exposed
children than in unexposed children who consumed equivalent
amounts of vitamin C; this was a highly signifi
cant differen ce (P = 0.002). This reduction in plasma
as corbate o ccurred even with very low exposure to ETS. |
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| Conclusions |
ETS can redu ce con centrations
of as corbate, an important blood antioxidant, even when the
amount of smoke exposure is minimal. Children exposed to ETS
should be en couraged to consume in creased amounts of foods
ri ch in vitamin C or should be given the equivalent amount
of this vitamin as a supplement. |
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References: |
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Preston, A. M., Rodriguez, C.,
Rivera, C.E. and Sahai, H. 2003. Influen ce of environmental
toba cco smoke on vitamin C status in children.
AJ CN , 77(1): 167-172 . |
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