Old dog, new tricks

Researchers uncover a new benefit of vitamin C, beyond preventing colds

One of my favorite bits of trivia is something I learned from Dr. Wright years ago. In the very first issue of Nutrition & Healing that I edited, he had written about vitamin C, and as we were discussing the article, he told me that humans, primates, guinea pigs, and a rare breed of bat found only in India are the only species on Earth that don’t produce their own vitamin C internally.

At first I thought maybe he was pulling my leg, but then he explained the process to me, and not only did I believe him, but I was sold on the fact that, since my body wasn’t going to make its own supply, I needed much more of this essential nutrient than that morning glass of orange juice was going to give me.

Since then, I’ve learned much more about vitamin C’s role in human health, but I’ve also come to realize that the discovery process of its benefits may very well be never-ending. In fact, some new research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that vitamin C may play a significant role in reducing the risk of diabetes.

Researchers from Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, England analyzed study records and dietary questionnaires completed by participants of the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer. They found that people with the highest blood levels of vitamin C had 62 percent less risk of developing type 2 diabetes than participants with the lowest levels of the nutrient. And the subjects who reported the highest rates of fruit and vegetable consumption had a 22 percent reduced risk of the disease.

There are lots of ways to reduce your risk of diabetes, of course, but this is a simple addition that can help you in many other ways as well. To find out more about what this essential nutrient can do for you — beyond preventing colds (or even diabetes) refer back to the June 2003 issue of Nutrition & Healing. Subscribers can download it for free by visiting www.wrightnewsletter.com and logging on to the Archives with the username and password listed on page 8 of your most recent issue (and if you’re not already a subscriber, the website also offers information on how you can become one).

Sources:
“Vitamin C-rich diet may slash diabetes risk,” NutraIngredients (www.nutraingredients.com), 7/29/08
“Plasma vitamin C level, fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus — The European Prospective Investigation of Cancer – Norfolk,” Archives of Internal Medicine 2008; 168(14):1,493-1,499