Vitamin C studies with disease prevention

With respect to vitamin C and strokes, a prospective study that followed more than 2, 000 residents of a rural Japanese community for 20 years found that the risk of stroke in those with the highest serum levels of vitamin C was 29% lower than in those with the lowest serum levels of vitamin C. In addition, the risk of stroke in those who consumed vegetables 6-7 days of the week was 54% lower than in those who consumed vegetables 0-2 days of the week. In this particular population, serum levels of vitamin C were highly correlated with fruit and vegetable intakes.
Several controlled studies have investigated the role of vitamin C in cancer prevention. Most have found that higher intakes of vitamin C are associated with decreased incidence of cancers of the mouth, throat and vocal chords, esophagus, stomach, colon-rectum, and lung. This was for people taking more than 90 Mg. daily, which is still under the recommended amount. A study of 870 men over a period of 25 years found that those who consumed more than 80 mg of vitamin C daily had a remarkable 64% reduction in lung cancer compared with those who consumed less than 60 mg daily.
In the Nurses' Health Study, women in pre menopause with a family history of breast cancer who consumed an average of 205 mg a day of vitamin C from foods had a 63% lower risk of breast cancer than those who consumed an average of 70 mg/day. In the Swedish Mammography Cohort, women who were overweight and consumed an average of 110 mg a day had a 39% lower risk of breast cancer compared to overweight women who consumed an average of 31 mg a day.
In another study of 747 older men, blood lead levels were significantly higher in those who reported total dietary vitamin C intakes averaging less than 109 mg a day compared to men who reported higher vitamin C intakes. A much larger study of 19, 578 people, including 4, 214 children from 6 to 16 years of age, found higher blood vitamin C levels to be associated with significantly lower blood lead level.
These are all important developments concerning Vitamin C and may make you rethink your own diet or supplementation.