08.20.12
A new study published in the journal Epidemiology found an vitamin C-rich diet could be helpful for those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma who have difficulty breathing when exposed to air pollution, as particulate matter in the air is a pollutant that can cause oxidative stress in the body.
Researchers at the Imperial College London said vitamin C’s antioxidant properties were the chief alleviant of the effects of air pollutants. For every 10 mcg/m3, researchers found the risk of hospitalization for breathing-related issues increased 35% for people with COPD or asthma. For those who had low levels of vitamin C, that number was increased by 1.2 times.
To further test their hypothesis, researchers excluded the elderly and former smokers in their analysis and found the correlation held true, though they found former smokers tended to have lower levels of vitamin C than non-smokers.
Researchers at the Imperial College London said vitamin C’s antioxidant properties were the chief alleviant of the effects of air pollutants. For every 10 mcg/m3, researchers found the risk of hospitalization for breathing-related issues increased 35% for people with COPD or asthma. For those who had low levels of vitamin C, that number was increased by 1.2 times.
To further test their hypothesis, researchers excluded the elderly and former smokers in their analysis and found the correlation held true, though they found former smokers tended to have lower levels of vitamin C than non-smokers.