In this study, scientists from the University of Technology Sydney and the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Australia studied the effects of PM2.5 – particles produced mainly by vehicle emissions, fossil fuel combustion, bushfires and dust storms – on lung cells. Previous research has found that even at low levels, exposure to these particles triggers inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular damage linked to asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer.
In experiments with both mice and human lung cell cultures, the researchers found that PM2.5 exposure increased inflammatory cells and cytokines while damaging mitochondria – energy-producing structures in cells that are especially vulnerable to pollution-related stress.
But when vitamin C was administered prior to exposure, inflammatory markers fell, key antioxidant enzymes recovered, and mitochondrial structure and function were preserved, effectively blocking the chain reaction of oxidative damage caused by pollution. The dose used in mice translated to roughly 1,000 mg of vitamin C per day in humans.
To read how high-dose B vitamins have been shown to have a protective effect against air pollution, see this article on our website.
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News
Vitamin C may offer meaningful protection against one of the world’s invisible but pervasive health threats – fine-particle air pollution. New research has found that the common antioxidant can significantly reduce the lung inflammation and cellular damage caused by everyday, low-level exposure to PM2.5.
[Source: newatlas.com]
[Image source: Freepik]
Comment
In this study, scientists from the University of Technology Sydney and the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Australia studied the effects of PM2.5 – particles produced mainly by vehicle emissions, fossil fuel combustion, bushfires and dust storms – on lung cells. Previous research has found that even at low levels, exposure to these particles triggers inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular damage linked to asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer.
In experiments with both mice and human lung cell cultures, the researchers found that PM2.5 exposure increased inflammatory cells and cytokines while damaging mitochondria – energy-producing structures in cells that are especially vulnerable to pollution-related stress.
But when vitamin C was administered prior to exposure, inflammatory markers fell, key antioxidant enzymes recovered, and mitochondrial structure and function were preserved, effectively blocking the chain reaction of oxidative damage caused by pollution. The dose used in mice translated to roughly 1,000 mg of vitamin C per day in humans.
To read how high-dose B vitamins have been shown to have a protective effect against air pollution, see this article on our website.
Dr. Rath Health Foundation
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