Study Shows Expanded Role of Vitamin C
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
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Pregnant mice deprived of vitamin C give birth to infants that die almost immediately from bleeding in the brain and respiratory distress, researchers from the National Human Genome Research Institute reported in the May issue of Nature Medicine. In humans, brain hemorrhages, lung complications and respiratory failure frequently cause death in premature infants, and vitamin C deficiencies may play a role there as well, said Dr. Robert Nussbaum, the lead researcher.
The only documented role for vitamin C is the prevention of scurvy, which is characterized by bleeding gums, anemia, skin hemorrhages and death. The new research indicates that it is also crucial for producing collagen, the structural matrix that holds tissues together.
