Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T23:25:20.788Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Long-term vitamin C supplementation has no markedly favourable effect on serum lipids in middle-aged Japanese subjects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Mi Kyung Kim ,
Satoshi Sasaki ,
Shizuka Sasazuki ,
Shunji Okubo ,
Masato Hayashi  and
Shoichiro Tsugane
Mi Kyung Kim
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, National Cancer Centre Research Institute East, Chiba, Japan Department of Preventive Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
Satoshi Sasaki
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, National Cancer Centre Research Institute East, Chiba, Japan National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan
Shizuka Sasazuki
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, National Cancer Centre Research Institute East, Chiba, Japan
Shunji Okubo
Affiliation:
Hiraka General Hospital, Yokote, Japan
Masato Hayashi
Affiliation:
Hiraka General Hospital, Yokote, Japan
Shoichiro Tsugane*
Affiliation:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, National Cancer Centre Research Institute East, Chiba, Japan
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Shoichiro Tsugane, fax +81 4 7134 6862, email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Antioxidant vitamins have been reported to be associated with an improvement in blood lipid profiles, but results are not consistent. The present study was designed to determine whether long-term vitamin C supplementation could alter serum lipid concentrations in subjects who completed a 5-year population-based double-blind intervention trial. A total of 439 Japanese subjects with atrophic gastritis initially participated in the trial using vitamin C and β-carotene to prevent gastric cancer. Before and upon early termination of β-carotene supplementation, 134 subjects dropped out of the trial; finally, 161 subjects assigned to the high-dose group (500 mg vitamin C/d) and 144 subjects assigned to the low-dose group (50 mg vitamin C/d) were studied. No favourable effect of vitamin C supplementation on serum concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, and triacylglycerol was observed, although high-dose vitamin C supplementation increased serum vitamin C concentrations substantially. Among women, the mean change in serum triacylglycerol decreased (−0·12 mmol/l, 95 % CI −0·32, 0·09) in the high-dose group, but increased (+0·12 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·03, 0·22) in the low-dose group. In addition, the mean change in serum triacylglycerol among women with hypertriacylglycerolaemia was statistically significant (−1·21, 95 % CI −2·38, −0·05) after high-dose vitamin C supplementation. The 5-year vitamin C supplementation had no markedly favourable effects on the serum lipid and lipoprotein profile. However, our present results do not preclude the possibility that vitamin C supplementation may decrease triacylglycerol concentrations among women with hypertriacylglycerolaemia.

Keywords

Vitamin C supplementationCholesterolTriacylglycerolHypertriacylglycerolaemiaIntervention trial
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 91 , Issue 1 , January 2004 , pp. 81 - 90
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2004

References

Assmann, G, Schulte, H, Funke, H & von Eckardstein, A (1998) The emergence of triglyceride as a significant independent risk factor in coronary artery disease. Eur Heart J 19, M8–M14.Google ScholarPubMed
Blanchard, J, Tozer, TN & Rowland, M (1997) Pharmacokinetic perspectives on megadoses of ascorbic acid. Am J Clin Nutr 66, 1165–1171.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bok, SH, Lee, SH, Park, YB, et al. (1999) Plasma and hepatic cholesterol and hepatic activities of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase and acyl CoA:cholesterol transferases are lower in rats fed citrus peel extracts or a mixture of citrus bioflavonoids. J Nutr 129, 1182–1185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, BG, Zhao, X-Q, Chait, A, et al. (2001) Simvastatin and niacin, antioxidant vitamins, or the combination for the prevention of coronary disease. N Engl J Med 345, 1583–1592.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buring, JE & Gaziano, JM (1997) Antioxidant vitamins and cardiovascular disease. In Preventive Nutrition, 171–180 [Bendich, A and Deckelbaum, RJ, editors]. New Jersey: Humana Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carr, AC & Frei, B (1999) Toward a new recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C based on antioxidant and health effects in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 69, 1086–1107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Friedewald, WT, Levy, RI & Fredrickson, DS (1972) Estimation of the concentration of LDL-cholesterol in plasma without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clin Chem 18, 499–502.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Geil, PB, Anderson, JW & Gustafson, NJ (1995) Women and men with hypercholesterolemia respond similarly to an American Heart Association step 1 diet. J Am Diet Assoc 95, 436–441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gotto, AM (2003) Antioxidants, statins, and atherosclerosis. J Am Coll Cardiol 41, 1205–1210.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group (2002) MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study of antioxidant vitamin supplementation in 20,536 high-risk individuals: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 360, 23–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huang, H-Y, Appel, LJ, Croft, KD, et al. (2002) Effects of vitamin C and vitamin E on in vivo lipid peroxidation: results of a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 76, 549–555.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jacques, PF, Sulsky, SI, Perrone, GE, Jenner, J & Schaefer, EJ (1995) Effect of vitamin C supplementation on lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein, and triacylglycerol concentrations. Ann Epidemiol 5, 52–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joshipura, KJ, Hu, FB, Manson, JE, et al. (2001) The effect of fruit and vegetable intake on risk for coronary heart disease. Ann Intern Med 134, 1106–1114.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kim, MK, Sasaki, S, Sasazuki, S, et al. (2002) Lack of long-term effect of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure. Hypertension 40, 797–803.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kim, MK, Sasazuki, S, Sasaki, S, et al. (2003) Effect of five-year supplementation of vitamin C on serum vitamin C concentration and consumption of vegetables and fruits in middle-aged Japanese: a randomized controlled trial. J Am Coll Nutr 22, 208–216.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kurowska, EM, Spence, JD, Jordan, J, et al. (2000) HDL-cholesterol-raising effect of orange juice in subjects with hypercholesterolemia. Am J Clin Nutr 72, 1095–1100.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levine, M, Corny-Cantilena, C, Wang, Y, et al. (1996) Vitamin C pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers: evidence for a recommended dietary allowance. Proc Natl Acad Sci 93, 3704–3709.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lynch, SM, Gaziano, JM & Frei, B (1996) Ascorbic acid and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In Ascorbic Acid: Biochemistry and Biomedical Cell Biology, pp. 353–385 [Harris, JR, editor]. New York: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labor (1994). Recommended Dietary Allowances of Japanese: Dietary Recommended in-takes, 5th ed. Tokyo (in Japanese).Google Scholar
Nyyssonen, K, Parviainen, MT, Salonen, R, Tuomilehto, J & Salonen, JT (1997) Vitamin C deficiency and risk of myocardial infarction: prospective population study of men from eastern Finland. Br Med J 314, 634–638.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Omenn, GS, Goodman, GE, Thornquist, MD, et al. (1996) Effect of a combination of beta carotene and vitamin A on lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med 334, 1150–1155.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pandey, DK, Shekelle, R, Selwyn, BJ, Tangney, C & Stamler, J (1995) Dietary vitamin C and β-carotene and risk of death in middle-aged men: the Western Electric Study. Am J Epidemiol 142, 1269–1278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pedersen, TR, Olsson, AG, Fargeman, O, et al. (1998) Lipoprotein changes and reduction in the incidence of major coronary heart disease events in the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S). Circulation 97, 1453–1460.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sahyoun, NR, Jacques, PF & Russell, RM (1996) Carotenoids, vitamin C and E, and mortality in an elderly population. Am J Epidemiol 144, 485–495.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salonen, JT, Nyyssonen, K, Salonen, R, et al. (2000) Antioxidant supplementation in atherosclerosis prevention (ASAP) study: a randomized trial of the effect of vitamins E and C on 3-year progression of carotid atherosclerosis. J Intern Med 248, 377–386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salonen, RM, Nyyssonen, K, Kaikkonen, J, et al. (2003) Six-year effect of combined vitamin C and E supplementation on atherosclerotic progression: the antioxidant supplementation in atherosclerosis prevention (ASAP) study. Circulation 107, 947–953.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sasaki, S, Tsubono, Y, Okubo, S, et al. (2000) Effects of three-month oral supplementation of beta-carotene and vitamin C on serum concentrations of carotenoids and vitamins in middle-aged subjects: A pilot study for a randomized controlled trial to prevent gastric cancer in high-risk Japanese population. Jpn J Cancer Res 91, 1–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simon, JA, Hudes, ES & Browner, WS (1998) Serum ascorbic acid and cardiovascular disease prevalence in U.S. adults. Epidemiology 9, 316–321.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simon, JA & Hudes, ES (1999) Serum ascorbic acid and cardiovascular disease prevalence in U.S. adults: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Ann Epidemiol 9, 358–365.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Singhal, S, Gupta, R & Goyle, A (2001) Comparison of antioxidant efficacy of vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A and fruits in coronary heart disease: a controlled trial. J Assoc Physicians India 49, 327–331.Google ScholarPubMed
Steinberg, FM & Chait, A (1998) Antioxidant vitamin supplementation and lipid peroxidation in smokers. Am J Clin Nutr 68, 319–327.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tofler, GH, Stec, JJ, Stubbe, I, et al. (2000) The effect of vitamin C supplementation on coagularity and lipid level in healthy male subjects. Thromb Res 100, 35–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trout, DL (1991) Vitamin C and cardiovascular risk factors. Am J Clin Nutr 53, 322S–325S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tsubono, Y, Okubo, S, Hayashi, M, Kakizoe, T & Tsugane, S (1997) A randomized controlled trial for chemoprevention of gastric cancer in high-risk Japanese population; study design, feasibility and protocol modification. Jpn J Cancer Res 88, 344–349.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tsubono, Y, Takamori, S, Kobayashi, M, et al. (1995) A data-based approach for designing a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire for a population-based prospective study in Japan. J Epidemiol 6, 45–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tsugane, S, Gey, F, Ichinowatari, Y, et al. (1992) Cross-sectional epidemiologic study for assessing cancer risks at the population level. I. Study design and participation rate. J Epidemiol 2, 75–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walden, CE, Retzlaff, BM, Buck, BL, McCann, BS & Knopp, RH (1997) Lipoprotein lipid response to the National Cholesterol Education Program step II diet by hypercholesterolemic and combined hyperlipidemic women and men. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 17, 375–382.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waring, AJ, Drake, IM, Schorah, CJ, et al. (1996) Ascorbic acid and total vitamin C concentrations in plasma, gastric juice, and gastrointestinal mucosa: effects of gastritis and oral supplementation. Gut 38, 171–176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zannoni, V, Lynch, M, Goldstein, S & Sato, P (1974) A rapid micromethod for the determination of ascorbic acid in plasma and tissues. Biochem Med 11, 41–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed