Question

In addition to antioxidant effects, Vitamin C has the following effects: Antiallergic effects, Antihypertensive effects, anti-inflammatory effects, cardiovascular effects, as well as Chemotherapy-modulating effects, dermatologic effects, exercise related effects, immunostimulant effects, radiotherapy toxicity- reducing effects, uricosuric effect. Discuss each of the above effects of Vitamin C in your own words.

Answer 1

I.] Antiallergic effects: In an allegic reaction, the amount of histamine increases in the blood which results in the rashes and inflamations. Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine which works by destroying the molecular structure of histamine. It has been found to be effective in children suffering from asthama and adults suffering from allergic rhinitis.

II.] Antihypertensive effect: There have been huge biological studies which focuses on the plausible effects of Vitamin C against hypertension. Vitamin C also has a uricosuric effect which helps in reduction of vasoconstriction caused due to intake of high concentration of fats.

III.]Anti-inflammatory effects : Vitamin C has shown inverse proportionality in terms of plasma concentration with C-reactive protein (CRP), a stable downstream marker of inflammation, also may participate in atherothrombosis. This provides some evidence that Vit C does have some antiinflamtory effects.

IV.] cardiovascular effects: Vitamin C reduces oxidation of LDL proteins and thereby reduces the risks of atherosclerosis.Vitamin C has also been shown to improve lipid profiles, arterial stiffness, and endothelial function. All of these effects directly help in tackling cardiovascular diseases.

V.] Chemotherapy-modulating effects: Studies have suggested that giving high doses of Vit C to cancer patients weakens the cancer cells thereby giving way for chemothrapeutic drugs to act better against these cells.

VI.]Dermatologic effects : The antioxidant properties of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and its role in collagensynthesis make vitamin C a vital molecule for skin health. Dietary and topicalascorbic acid have beneficial effects on skin cells, and some studies have shown that vitamin C may help prevent and treat ultraviolet (UV)-induced photodamage.

VII.] exercise related effects : Ascorbic acid or vitamin C is involved in a number of biochemical pathways that are important to exercise metabolism and the health of exercising individuals. Exercise generally causes a transient increase in circulating ascorbic acid in the hours following exercise.

VIII.] Immunostimulant effects : Vitamin C has often been shown to convey an immunostimulative effect. Together, Vitamins C and E have been found to slow or stop disease progression in HIV/AIDS.