Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In this study, 170 diabetic patients were given vitamin C and E or a placebo daily and after 3 months it was determined the supplementation showed significant decrease in blood pressure, blood sugar, and increases in the body’s innate antioxidants. The latest statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 25.8 million Americans, or 8.3% of the population, have diabetes. From 2005-2008, 35% of U.S. adults aged 20 years or older (including 50% of adults aged 65 years or older), had pre-diabetes. This equates to 79 million American adults aged 20 years or older with pre-diabetes, with the total cost of diabetes to our society in 2007 being $174 billion (1).
Now a new study (2) suggests that taking vitamins C and E may benefit the health of diabetics. In the study, 170 patients with type 2 diabetes (84 male, 86 female) between the ages of 43 and 63 were given either vitamin C (266.7 milligrams per day = 44 patients), vitamin E (300 International Units per day = 43 patients), vitamin C+E (300 IU Vit E+266.7 mg Vit C = 43 patients), or placebo (40 patients) per day for 3 months. Blood samples were obtained before and after the study to measure for blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, a protein marker of diabetes called HbA1c, and levels of 2 antioxidant enzymes, SOD (Superoxide Dismutase) and GSH Glutathione Peroxidase).
By the end of 3 months, those receiving either of the three supplement regimens showed significant decreases in blood pressure compared to placebo (p<0.05), significant decreases in fasting blood sugar (p < 0.05) and HbA1c (p < 0.001) compared to placebo, and significant increases in both SOD and GSH compared to placebo (p < 0.001). Unfortunately, the researchers did not provide the specific data of these statistically significant results so a deeper analysis of the data could not be completed.
The observed increase in SOD is significant for the overall health of diabetics, since SOD “is one of the major enzymatic antioxidant defenses against [cell damage]” and that “increases in SOD enzyme activity relates with improved resistance to [cell damage]” (3). As for the benefits of increased GSH levels, this has been proven previously to be a health benefit to diabetics (4) Bhatia et al., 2003). The justification for pairing vitamins C and E with supplementation is because “when vitamin E disarms a free radical, it becomes a weak free radical itself. But unlike bad free radicals, the vitamin E can be recycled, or turned back into an antioxidant, by vitamin C (5, 6)”.
For the researchers, “subjects with type 2 diabetes after three months supplementation of vitamins demonstrated significantly low-level of high blood pressure, decreased levels of blood glucose, and increased SOD and GSH enzyme activity that can probably reduce insulin resistance by enhanced lowering oxidative stress parameters.”
Source: Rafighi, Zahra, et al. “Association of dietary vitamin C and E intake and antioxidant enzymes in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.” Global journal of health science 5.3 (2013): 183.
Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education
Posted June 18, 2013.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- 1 “2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet” posted on the CDC website
- 2 Rafighi Z. Association of Dietary Vitamin C and E Intake and Antioxidant Enzymes in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients. Glob Jou Health Sci 2013; 5(3):183-7. doi: 10.5539/gjhs.v5n3p183
- 3 Herbeth, B. Serum total antioxidant status, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase and whole-blood glutathione peroxidase activities in the Stanislas cohort: influencing factors and reference intervals. Clin Chem Lab Med2003; 41, 209-15. Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. Volume 41, Issue 2, Pages 209–215, ISSN (Print) 1434-6621, DOI: 10.1515/CCLM.2003.034, June 2005 .
- 4 Bhatia S. Antioxidant status, lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide end products in patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus with nephropathy. Clin Biochem 2003; 36: 557-562.
- 5 Title LM Oral glucose loading acutely attenuates endothelium-dependent vasodilation in diabetes: an effect prevented by vitamins C and E. J Am Coll Cardiol 2004 ;36:2185-91.
- 6 Rafighi Z. The Effect of Vitamin C and E on Lipid Profile in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients. Global Journal of Health Science 2011; 3(2):69-74.
