My father just emailed me a press release from the researchers that he works with. Thought you would all be interested.
Oakland, CA- Researchers at Children?s Hospital & Research Center at Oakland have found that Vitamin C plays an important role in normal airway function, may prevent symptoms associated airway diseases such as cystic fibrosis and asthma, and may even help alleviate the dry cough suffered by smokers. The findings of the Children?s researchers are a first step toward evaluation of vitamin C as a drug candidate and therapeutic agent in the complementary treatment of asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive lung disease.
In the study, published in the first March issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and communicated by Prof. Bruce Ames, the Children?s researchers found that low levels of vitamin C may play a role in the progression of common inflammatory airway diseases. Inflammatory airway diseases obstruct breathing and can literally leave patients gasping for breath.
It goes on to say:
?When the airway is not sufficiently hydrated, it becomes susceptible to infections, which may eventually cause asthma attacks in asthmatics, ? said Illek. ?Increased intake of vitamin C may loosen those sticky airway secretions and improve clearance in the respiratory tract. Vitamin C may prove to be an effective, safe and low-cost treatment to improve current therapies, including bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics.?