Here is a study that was just published in the British journal Diabetic Medicine in March 20063.
Twenty patients with type II diabetes mellitus participated in a study involving an overnight fast, followed by ingestion of a standard fatty meal in the morning. The study was then repeated in a double-blinded manner with placebo. Half the group received vitamin C 1,000 mg daily for two days prior to retesting with the fatty meal, while the other group received placebo. It was found that those who supplemented with vitamin C had significant improvement in blood flow after the fatty meal compared to the placebo group. The effect lasted for at least eight hours after the fatty meal. It's not uncommon for individuals to suffer heart attacks after a fatty meal because of alterations in blood flow through arteries from effects of lipids in the bloodstream.
Another study that was done a few years ago and was published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) had similar results. Here, half of a group of normal individuals received high dose vitamin C (1,000 mg) and E (800 mg) where the other group was given placebo4. All had the equivalent of a heavy saturated fat Mc Donald's breakfast. Those given vitamins C and E had significant improvement in blood flow compared to the group given placebo. In a related article published in the March 2000 edition of Atherosclerosis5, researchers out of Sweden tested forearm blood flow in 12 young, healthy males. These 12 men then received infusion of endothelin-1, which exerts pro-inflammatory effects and contributes to endothelial dysfunction. When endothelin-1 was infused there was clear decrease in blood flow. However, when these same individuals were pre-treated with vitamin C at 24 mg a minute, the vitamin C was able to prevent the decrease in blood flow by the endothelin-1.
CW
Christopher Wiechert's Healthblogger is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. If you decide to use this information on your own, it's your constitutional right, but I assume no responsibility.
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