The Effects of Vitamin C on Cholesterol

Cholesterol; It's become as common as the common cold, but a greater risk factor to health. Cholesterol generally has a bad rap, but it does have some good qualities about it. We've all heard about levels of LDL and HDL and what bad cholesterol does to the arteries. What we don't find is much information about other ways cholesterol works in the body or why. We're also told about cholesterol lowering medications that can be costly, reducing eggs and other foods in our diet, but we rarely read about the research involving Vitamin C's affect on cholesterol.

Let's first look at cholesterols' function on building plaque on the artery walls. This is associated with LDL or bad cholesterol. Scientists believe this is actually the body's own way of attempting to repair a weak spot in the artery wall. The problem arises because LDL doesn't realize when the repair work is good enough and therefore doesn't stop building up on the wall of the artery. This leads to a blockage in the artery.

The Journal of Human Nutrition, vol. 35, no.1, 1981, reports a study from England where 11 elderly patients had problems with coronary artery disease. The group showed decreased levels of total blood cholesterol after 6 weeks of high doses of Vitamin C. The group was given 1 gram of Vitamin C per day, or the equivalent of 1,000 milligrams. The researchers also discovered that Vitamin C raised the levels of HDL (good cholesterol) which also helps lower the levels of LDL (bad cholesterol).

In all the studies conducted by this research team, it was noted that prior to supplementation of high levels of Vitamin C, everyone in the group had a Vitamin C deficiency.

Scottish physicians discovered that blood levels of Vitamin C dropped dramatically within 6 to 12 hours of a heart attack. They believe this was due to the body's Vitamin C stores being directed to the ailing heart to repair it. If daily supplementation isn't given to the heart attack patient, the levels of blood cholesterol continue to fall in the weeks following the heart attack, which could make complications worse, considering that ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) has been found to help repair the damage caused by coronary artery disease.

Another study, done at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, by Dr. Jairo Ramirez, discovered that levels of Vitamin C within white blood cells were extremely low in patients with coronary artery disease. White blood cells are the ones which fight off disease and foreign invaders in the body. This indicates that high levels of Vitamin C will help white blood cells do their job more efficiently.

Dr. Ramirez also discovered that high levels of vitamin C also help the liver produce cytochrome P-450, a substance that speeds up the conversion of cholesterol into bile.

Adequate amounts of Vitamin C may prevent coronary artery disease as much as a healthy diet can, if not more so. Either way, it doesn't hurt to get plenty of this vital nutrient.

All of the researchers in the studies mentioned, have concluded that the RDA requirement for Vitamin C is way to low and should be raised.

They also noted that in some tests levels of cholesterol began to rise again or weren't as affected by Vitamin C. After more thorough research they discovered that after the cholesterol is broken down into bile, some of it isn't excreted the way it should be. Being a sneaky substance it somehow finds its way back to the liver. To prevent this, the researchers began adding a dose of pectin along with the Vitamin C. Pectin is a natural fiber which forms a gel. The bile gets stuck in this gel fiber allowing it to be excreted with fecal matter. Having all the bile removed from the body in this natural process prevents it from making its way back to the liver. The dosage given was 450 milligrams of Vitamin C and 15 grams of pectin. This combination lowered levels of LDL cholesterol while the levels of HDL were unchanged.

Pectin is also beneficial because heavy metals will adhere to it in the intestinal tract and be removed from the body as well. This makes pectin a reliable detoxifier. Pectin also slows down the absorption of sugar, which could be greatly beneficial to diabetics.