Vitamin Information Center

PROTEIN
Protein is a necessary component for building, maintenance, and repair of many body
systems and processes, including:
•Production of collagen and keratin, which are the structural components of bones, teeth,
hair, and the outer layer of skin; they help maintain the structure of blood vessels
•Manufacture of hormones, such as insulin and thyroid hormone
•Production of enzymes that control chemical reactions in the body
•Proper immune function—production of antibodies, white blood cells, and other
immune factors
•Transportation of oxygen, vitamins, and minerals to target cells throughout the body
MACRONUTRIENTS8 | Chapter 1
•Source of energy—the liver can use protein to make glucose when there is not enough
carbohydrate available, such as when you skip a meal or follow a low-carb diet.
Food Sources
Protein is found in animal products, nuts, legumes, and, to a lesser extent, in fruits
and vegetables. When we eat protein the body breaks it down into amino acids, some
of which are called essential because they must be provided by the food we eat.
Others that can be produced by the body are called non-essential.
Protein from animal sources contains all of the essential amino acids. Therefore,
your best sources of lean protein are chicken, turkey, fi sh, and eggs. Choose free-
range and organic wherever possible to reduce ingesting harmful hormones and
chemicals.
Plant proteins do not contain all the essential amino acids and are considered
incomplete proteins. It is possible, though, to combine various plant proteins to get all
the essential amino acids. For example, eating oats, lentils, and sunfl ower seeds either
together or separately throughout the day provides all the essential amino acids. You
could also combine whole-wheat pasta with white kidney beans or tofu with brown
rice to get all the necessary amino acids. It just requires careful meal planning.
There are certain advantages of eating plant over animal proteins—they pro-
vide fi bre and phytochemicals (antioxidants), do not contain saturated fat, and
may play a role in disease prevention. Soy protein, for example, has been shown to
signifi cantly lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and protect against bone loss.
A number of studies have found lower risk of chronic disease in those who eat a
plant-based diet.
The Institute of Medicine recommends ranges for macronutrient intake that are
associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease while providing adequate intake
of essential nutrients. They suggest that adults get 45–65 percent of calories from
carbohydrates, 20–35 percent from fat, and 10–35 percent from protein. Ranges for
children are similar, except that infants and younger children need a slightly higher
proportion of fat (25–40 percent).

Açaí berry juice and supplements have become more and more popular in terms of its antioxidant power, anti-aging properties and potential weight loss benefits. Celebrities like Oprah and Dr. Perricone cheap açaí Berry for their health, but these benefits the costs?

Açaí berries are small purple colored fruits in Central and South America. You are in the same family as other dark colored fruits like blueberries and cranberries. The coloring of the fruits is due to the antioxidants, anthocyanins and flavonoids. Fruit and vegetables with the deepest purple and blue color are the richest in antioxidants.

Antioxidants are responsible for the promotion of good health because they help to wear by harmful substances in the body called free radicals. Therefore, an antioxidant diet consumed May reduce or slow aging and the diseases caused by free radicals activity. Furthermore, açaí also many other nutrients such as omega fatty acids, and it is a good source of protein (both are rare for a fruit). It is for this reason, açaí berries are prized as one of the most nutrient-packed fruits.

Although the benefits of powerful nutrients açaí berries are not denied the ability to açaí to weight loss efforts are not yet on the scientific research. In addition, the Western world is ready for large amounts of money to purchase this super fruit. Starting prices for many supplements and juices are usually about $ 30 (for less than a 1-month supply), but many additions significantly more expensive.

The bottom line is açaí berry supplements do pack a nutrient shock, but with a hefty price. No reason to worry, if you’re not in a position, the cost of these expensive supplements. The antioxidant flavonoids and anthocyanins, can by the consumption of other dark-colored fruits like blueberries and pomegranates. All other nutrients, which in this super fruit can by eating a balanced diet of lean proteins such as impaired (wild salmon, tuna, chicken), a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts.

The ORAC, or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, is an index that shows the amount of antioxidants in a single food source. It has become an important indicator of a fruit or vegetable’s ability to eliminate free radicals that damage cells in the human body.

Free radicals
Imagine rust forming on metal. As rust eats away the surface, the metal erodes and eventually becomes unusable. This is how free radicals attack our body - they weaken our cells, organs, tissue and other important parts, leading to diseases such as cancer, heart ailments, osteoarthritis and dementia.

The ORAC scale
The ORAC test identifies and measures important antioxidants in a food source. Foods with a high ORAC score can raise the antioxidant levels in the blood by up to 25 percent. Doctors recommend that we consume fruits and vegetables with a total ORAC score of 1,750 per day.

Different plants have different levels of antioxidants. You may consume five kinds of fruits and get only 1,300 ORAC units. Yet a handful of blueberries can give you an ORAC score of 9,000 per 100 grams. The USDA’s recommended level of ORAC units is 3,000 to 5,000 daily.

Acai tops the ORAC list
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries and pomegranates score high on the ORAC index. But no single food source comes close to the ORAC score of the acai berry from Brazil.

A new research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that the acai has the highest ORAC antioxidant value of any food.

Compared to blackberries (53), pomegranates (105), and blueberries (92), acai has an amazing ORAC score of 1,027 per gram. Some samples of freeze-dried acai even turned out ORAC results of up to 50,000.

While these figures are impressive, they do not apply to all acai. Acai berries that have been frozen, spray dried or air dried have a lower ORAC score because many of the phytochemicals, enzymes and nutrients of the acai fruit are lost in the procedure.

To achieve the highest ORAC values, buy only acai products that are properly freeze-dried.

To achieve a toned and well-sculpted body through muscle building, proper exercises with the right equipments, an obliging diet as well as a good muscle building supplement are essential. Muscle building requires specific workouts especially for the major muscle groups such as the abdominis, the quadriceps, the deltoids, the pectorals and the biceps. These parts of the body can be fashioned to be toned and well-sculpted as the muscles are elastic. Weight lifting is ideal for building muscle mass as well as other exercises such as swimming, running and brisk walking. When building the muscles, body fat is initially eliminated therefore there may be a need to reduce calorie intake.

Through the course of the muscle building regimen, it is necessary to add nutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins in the diet. Carbohydrates is essential for energy maintenance during workouts. Proteins, on the other hand is the most required nutrient for developing the muscles. Rich sources of protein are chicken, beef, pork, fish, eggs, dairy foods as well as nuts, seeds, beans and lentils. Aside from sufficient nutrients, a muscle building supplement should also be included in the regimen to augment vitamin and mineral intake. During the past decades, one of the most widely researched muscle building supplement is bee pollen.

It has been conclusively found in studies that bee pollen as a muscle building supplement contains twice as much iron as any other food. On a per calorie basis, bee pollen has been found to have more beneficial effects than fruits and vegetables alone. Bee pollen as a muscle building supplement promotes the effective flow of oxygen throughout the body. With protein being the most essential nutrient in muscle building, the bee pollen muscle building supplement contains twice the amount of muscle building protein found in beef. A remarkable amount of antioxidant vitamins such as Vitamins A, C and E are also contained in the bee pollen muscle building supplement.

In fact, bee pollen has been found to include the maximum amounts of Vitamin A than every known food except tomatoes. The bee pollen muscle building supplement also hold three essential forms of Vitamin B including thiamin and niacin. Studies carried out in 1992 showed results of bee pollen being an excellent source of calcium. A high level of dietary calcium is necessary for the development of strong and sturdy bones. As skeletal muscles need to be stimulated for successful muscle building, it goes without saying that the bee pollen muscle building supplement is beneficial for this endeavor. It is by far too broad and expanse to discuss the particular ingredients of bee pollen in augmenting the development of muscle mass.

It is interesting to note, however, that the bee pollen muscle building supplement contains the highest level of folic acid than any of today’s common foods. Folic acid has an indispensable function in cell generation and prostate gland support. In increasing stamina and energy levels in athletic performances, the bee pollen muscle building supplement also performs a vital role. Muscle building supplements are taken to boost muscle size, increase the rate of fat loss, improve joint health and to prevent potential nutrient deficiencies. Scientific consensus supports the effectiveness of only a small number of commercially available muscle building supplements when the consumer is healthy and physically active.

When resorting to the bee pollen muscle building supplement a barrage of other supplements need not be taken as it is complete in itself.

New evidence suggests that the 90mg RDI of vitamin C is woefully insufficient for the body’s true need of this powerful antioxidant nutrient. We’ve all heard that we need vitamin C to prevent colds and to fight infections, now evidence shows it is worth so much more.

As we stress the body with unhealthy diets, smoking, hormones in foods, chemicals in the environment, and less sleep than we need, all of which increase free radicals in the body, today the need is evident how much we need to increase our intake of this vital nutrient.

Vitamin C protects the immune system, the heart, the eyes, brain, and the joints, and that is just the beginning.

This super star vitamin neutralizes free radicals as part of its antioxidant action, and has been shown to destroy bacteria, yeast and certain cancerous cells, and increase the activity of natural killer cells that help control viral and bacterial infections.

It protects the cardiovascular system by increasing the stability and elasticity of the vascular walls and by inhibiting the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles, while also regenerating alpha-tocopheroyl, the all important vitamin E.

The normal healthy eye contains high levels of vitamin C which protects the eyes from the formation of cataracts and age related eye diseases. Low levels are consistent with cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration. However the best way to get this nutrient into the aqueous humour is in the seven to nine servings of fresh fruits and vegetables recommended per day.

Evidence based research shows that vitamin C stimulates pro-collagen and bone cell formation. Problems of the connective tissue, bone, and joints are primarily due to poor diet, low nutrient absorption and altered metabolism. In a dou- ble-blind study 133 patients with Osteoporosis taking therapeutic levels of Vitamin C, participants reported significantly reduced pain and inflammation compared to the placebo group.

Nutrition plays a major roll in supporting the immune system, and good nutrition has even made AIDS a treatable disease. Vitamin C being the critical nutrient, works to suppress the replication of the HIV virus while also protecting the brain from toxicity that occurs in the latter stages of the disease.

With the level of stress we live with today, along with a diet of hydrogenated fats, refined carbohydrates, high intake of meats, and a sedentary lifestyle, our level of health is the worlds worst. We must change these dietary and lifestyle habits and restructure a lifestyle to support health. Supplementation with good quality vitamins is a must. But supplementation must come with a change of diet, not instead of.

Vitamin C is absolutely essential for the maintenance of health, preventing disease, reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, joint dysfunction, vision problems and cognitive impairment.

All fruits and vegetables contain some Vitamin C. Foods highest in vitamin C include green peppers, citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, turnip greens and other leafy greens, sweet potatoes, and cantaloupe.

Other excellent sources include papaya, mango, watermelon, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, winter squash, red peppers, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and pineapples.

In another column I’ll talk about what the new research reveals about Vitamin C and Cancer. Remember, Health is a Choice, your choice. If you would like to purchase the book, attend the class: Grocery Shopping 101, or if you are ready to change the level of your health, please call or write:

Carolyn Guilford,

(912) 236-8987 www.Healthrestoration101.com

Health Restoration 101

P. O. Box 2814, Savannah, GA 31402

Colorado-based Natural Grocers is the latest natural and organic food retailer to enter the market with the grand opening Saturday of its first store in Richardson at the northwest corner of Coit and Campbell roads.

The company plans as many as four stores in the Dallas area and more in other Texas cities, said Kemper Isely, a son of the chain’s founders, who operate the 28-store chain with his siblings. He’s looking along Greenville Avenue in Dallas, Flower Mound, Plano and Southlake. A store opens in Amarillo in November.

The Richardson store is about 14,000 square feet and specializes in dietary specific needs including gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and kosher. The company’s roots are in vitamin and mineral supplements, but the store carries groceries, health and beauty supplies, fresh meats and poultry, dairy, fruits and vegetables, frozen foods and baked goods.

The stores offer no paper or plastic bags, except in produce, but boxes are on hand for shoppers who forget to bring reusable bags.

The store is located across the street from a Sprouts Farmers Market. Sprouts, a chain of natural food stores based in Phoenix, opened its first area store here in 2005.

The Isely family founded privately-held Natural Grocers in 1955 as the Vitamin Cottage. The company operates stores in Colorado, New Mexico and enters Utah next year.

Sunflower Farmers Market, a Colorado-based organic and natural supermarket chain is also expanding here and in Texas.

Austin-based Whole Foods Market Inc. has two stores under construction in Dallas in Lakewood and Park Lane.

Mr. Isely said the market is growing as more people become aware of organics and the benefits of natural foods. The company’s best store is 100 feet away from a Whole Foods in Boulder, he said.

Marketing manager Nancy Flynn said the company has an online store and already had a strong customer base from the Dallas area.

Jamayet Ali

Amlaki fruit has been held in high esteem in indigenous medicine. This fruit is also probably the richest known natural source of vitamin C. It is a small fleshy and obscurely 6-lobbed fruit which is native to Bangladesh and India. It also grows in Sri Lanka, China, Malay Islands and other tropical and subtropical countries. The plant is usually propagated by seeds. It may also be propagated vegetatively by budding, cutting and in arching. The fruit is green when tender, changing to light yellow or brick red colour when mature. It is sour and astringent and is occasionally eaten raw. It is much esteemed for making pickles, preserves and jellies. It is often cultivated in gardens and homewards. A type bearing comparatively larger fruits than the wild plant is known in cultivation. Flowers usually appear in the hot season and fruits ripen during the following winter.

Botanical name of Amlaki is Emblica officinalis. The fruits are used in the preparation of writing inks and hair dyes. The dried fruit is detergent and is used as shampoo for the head. The leaves and fruits are used as fodder for cattle. The leaves contain a brownish yellow colouring matter. The wood is red, hard and close-grained; it is liable to split. It is used for agricultural implements, poles and inferior building and furniture work. It is durable under water and is suited for well-work. Per 100gms. edible amlaki contain vitamin C 463mg. It is the highest record compared to other fruits and vegetables. Other nutrition values are: moisture, 91.4; mineral matter, 0.7; fibre, 3.4; calorie, 96 (energy); protein, 0.9; fat, 0.1; carbohydrate, 6.9g.; calcium, 34; iron, 1.2; vitamin B-1, 0.02; vitamin B-2, 0.08, and vitamin C 463 mg./100gms. This fruit is called the king of vitamin C. The fruit juice contains nearly 20 times as much vitamin C as orange juice and a single fruit is equal in antiscorbutic value to one or two oranges. A tannin containing gallic acid, ellagic acid and glucose in its molecule and naturally present in the fruit, prevents or retards the oxidation of the vitamin and renders the fruit a valuable antiscorbutic in the fresh as well as in the dry condition (Food Processes and Analysis, Mohanullad Yunus, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, 50; Wealth of India, Raw Materials, Emblica, 169)

Medicinal Properties: The fruit is acrid, sour, bitter sweetish; cooling, alexiteric, carminative, alterative, laxative, tonic, antipyretic; useful in burning sensations, vomiting, biliousness, urinary discharges, thirst, leprosy, constipation, inflammations, erysipelas, piles, anaemia, strangury; used in biliousness, “kapha”, thirst, sweats, anuria, poisoning, “tridosha”, ophthalmia and incipient blindness. The leaf is used in ophthalmia and incipient blindness. The seed is acrid, sweet; aphrodisiac, antipyretic; useful in biliousness, asthma, bronchitis, leucorrhoea, vomiting, “vata” (Ayurveda). The flowers are cooling and aperient. The fruit is acrid, sour, cooling; astringent, tonic, laxative, improves the appetite; useful in diseases of the heart, liver complaint, cold in the nose, thirst, piles, biliousness, eyetroubles; stops nasal haemorrhage; purifies the humours of the body.

The root, the bark, and the ripe fruit are astringent. The flowers are refrigerant and aperient.

The unripe fruit is cooling, diuretic, and laxative. The exudation from the incisions on the fruit is used as an external application in inflammation of the eye. In the Konkan, the juice of the fresh bark with honey and turmeric is given in gonorrhoea. The leaves are, in Barada, used as all infusion with fenugreek seeds in cases of chronic dysentery, and are also considered a bitter tonic. In the same locality, the milky juice is considered a good application to offensive sores. it Cambodia, the leaves are used in the preparation of antithermic lotions and baths. and the decoction of the roots is given in myalgia following upon some febrile condition. Every part of the plant is equally useless in the antidotal treatment of snake-bite and scorpion sting (Indian Medicinal Plants, Kirt. & Basu, ill, 2221,2222)

Amlaki is acrid, cooling, refrigerant, diuretic and laxative. The raw fruit is eaten as an aperient Dried fruit is useful in haemorrhage, diarrhoea and dysentery. In combination with iron, it is used as a remedy for anaemia, jaundice and dyspepsia. A fermented liquor prepared from the fruit is used in jaundice. dyspepsia, and cough. Acute bacillary dysentery may be arrested by drinking a sherbet of amlaki with lemon juice. Triphala, consisting of equal parts of powdered emblic myrobalan, chebullic myrobalan (Terminalia chebula Retz, Haritaki) and belleric myrobalan (T. bellerica Roxb. Bahera) is used as a laxative and in headache. biliousness, dyspepsia, constipation, piles, enlarged liver and ascites. The exudation from incisions on the fruit is used as an external application for inflammation of the eye. The flowers are cooling, refrigerant and aperient. The root and bark are astringent. The seeds are used in the treatment of asthma, bronchitis and biliousness. They contain a fixed oil phosphatides and a small quantity of essential oil with a characteristic odour. This oil is reported to have the property of property of hair growth (Wealth of India, Raw Materials, Emblica, 169,170).

The juice of the fresh fruit is considered cooling, refrigerant, diuretic and laxative, and enters into many prescriptions for dyspepsia. It is also ordered to be given with honey as a diuretic. The dried fruit is said to be astringent and useful in haemorrhage and together with iron is considered a valuable remedy in anaemia, jaundice and dyspepsia. A paste of the fruit is also described as a useful external application over the public region in irritability of the bladder. The exudation from incisions made in the fruit, while on the tree, is believed to be a useful external application in recent inflammation of the conjunction. A fermented liquor prepared from the fruit s used in jaundice, dyspepsia, cough (UC. Dutt, Mat Med Hind). Dymock states that Muhammadan physicians esteem it equally with the Hindu Materia Medica. They describe it as, tringent, refrigerant. cardiacal, and a purifier of the humours of the body. It is much prescribed ! them in “fluxes” and is also applied externally an account of its cooling and astringent properties.

The fresh fruit is used as a purgative, while a sherbet prepared from it, sweetened with honey or sugar is a favourite cooling drink, and is believed to be diuretic. Campbell states that it is when boiled till it becomes like oil, applied as a remedy for khasra a skin disease. The dried is much prescribed as an astringent in diarrhoea and dysentery. Ainslie writes, ‘The died yellow flowers of this species have an odom much resembling that of lemon-peel and supposed, by the Vitians, to have virtues of a cooling and asperient nature; they are prescribed, in conjunction with other articles in the form of an electuary, in the quantity of about a tea-spoonfull twice daily. The bark partakes of the astringency of the fruit, and is similarly employed. Dymock states that the juice of the fresh bark is given with honey and turmeric as a for gonorrhoea. The root by decoction and evaporation. yields an astringent extract equal to catechu both for medicinal purposes and in the arts. The leaves are used as an infusion with fenugreek seeds in cases of chronic dysentery, and are also considered a bitter tonic.

“Amlaki is an excellent astringent for genito-urinary discharges when used with beleric myrobalans in decoction; laxative when combined with chebulic myrobalans” (Surgeon-Major R.D. Cook, Cali ).”The fresh fruit preserved as a confection is used for bilious affections” (Surgeon-Major Robb, Ahmedabad) “In some cases of disturbed cerebral circulation, attended by a buming sensation at the crown of the head, a tendency to headache, confusion of thoughts, and probably loss of hair, I have used, with great success, mustered oil in which amlaki fruit had been allowed to remain for some time. The oil so prepared was applied on the head; in a few days the burning sensation diminished, the mental faculties became relieved of confusion, and in two cases the hair grew very rapidly on the part. (Civil Surgeon D. Basu, Faridpur, Bengal)

“Infusion of seeds used in eye diseases” (Assistant Surgeon Nehal Sing, Saharunpur) “Infusion of amlaki in cooling and astringent and a useful adjunct to other medicines in diarrhoea and dysentery: also found efficacious in haematurea. It is an ingredient of triphala, that is the infusion of three myrobalans-emblic, chebulic, and beleric. This infusion has found to be a cooling, stomachic and general tonic to the digestive system” (Assistant Surgeon S.C. Bhattachargi, Chanda). The pulp is used for the same purposes as liquorice, viz., for cough (Surgeon-Major Lionel Beech, cocanadu). It is one of the ingredients of triphala (three fruits) commonly used by the people as stomachic and laxative primarily; and astringent finally. The other two are haritaki and bahera” (Assistant Surgeon Bhagwan Dass Rawalpindi). A decoction of the fruit is useful in chronic dysentery and diarrhoea” (Civil Surgeon S.M. Shircore, Murshedabad). “It is a stimulating expectorant in chronic bronchitis. It is also antibilious. An infusion of the roots is given to allay thirst” (Surgeon-Major D.R. Thomson, M.D., CIE Madras). The dried fruits, immersed in water in a new eatihen vessel a whole night, yield a decoction which is used as a collyrium in ophthalmia (Dictionary of the Economic Products of India)

Cataracts, the most common cause of blindness, may result from exposure to sunlight throughout your life. What we eat may help protect not only against cataracts but glaucoma and macular degeneration, and can promote overall and eye health.
Several research studies have found antioxidants like vitamin E and vitamin C help lower the rate of cataracts. Vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin are three more compounds found in food that are essential for good eye health.
Vitamin E is found in wheat germ, nuts, seeds and oils. Vitamin C is found in oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, broccoli and peppers. Vitamin A promotes normal vision and helps you see in the dark by adjusting to lower levels of light. Good sources of vitamin A are carrots, papaya, milk and tomatoes.
Lutein is a phytonutrient that contributes to the health of your eyes by maintaining healthy vision and possibly reducing the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Zeaxanthin is another phytonutrient that contributes to maintaining healthy vision and may help prevent macular degeneration.
Both lutein and zeaxanthin are found in dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, peas, kiwi, red grapes, yellow squash, oranges, corn, mangoes and honeydew melon. They help keep the lens, retina and the pigment of the macula (or central area of the eye) healthy.
You’ve probably noticed these foods benefit your overall health in addition to being good for your eyes. Remember, one of the best things you can do to keep your eyes healthy is to consume five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
To keep your eyes healthy, fix your gaze on fruits and vegetables.
For other nutrition and food safety questions, contact me at 620-232-1930 or e-mail me at mmurphy@ksu.edu or check out the K-State Research and Extension Web site: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/humannutrition/

Last week, we reported that high consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks seems to increase the risk for type 2 diabetes among African-American women. In the most recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, investigators from England reported that high levels of vitamin C in the blood are associated with a substantially decreased risk of diabetes.

The researchers studied a population of people, ranging from age 40 to age 75, who completed food questionnaires. The study population was followed for 12 years - in that time, 735 cases of diabetes were identified among 21,831 health individuals. After analyzing the information from the food questionnaires, the researchers found that individuals with high vitamin C levels in the blood were substantially less likely to develop diabetes. They found that higher fruit and vegetable intake was also associated with a significantly decreased risk of diabetes.

These findings highlight a potentially important public health message - promoting a diet rich in fruits and vegetables could help in the prevention of diabetes.

An abundance of vitamin C in the diet may help lower a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.

In a study of middle-aged and older men and women, those with the highest blood levels of vitamin C were significantly less likely to develop diabetes over 12 years than those with the lowest levels, researchers found.

Fruits and vegetables are the main source of vitamin C in Western diets, and blood levels of vitamin C are good markers of fruit and vegetable intake, Dr. Nita G. Forouhi, at the Institute of Metabolic Science at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, England, and colleagues note.

The current findings “re-endorse the public health message of the beneficial effect of increasing total fruit and vegetable intake,” the investigators wrote in Archives of Internal Medicine.

Forouhi’s team followed 21,831 healthy men and women who were 40 to 75 years old for the development of type 2 diabetes. At study entry, all participants provided detailed health and lifestyle information, as well as blood samples, which investigators used to determine vitamin C levels.

Over the course of the study, 423 men and 312 women developed type 2 diabetes, an overall rate of 3.2 percent.

According to the investigators, the likelihood of developing diabetes was 62 percent lower in men and women with the highest circulating vitamin C levels, relative to men and women with the lowest vitamin C levels.

Factoring out other characteristics associated with diabetes risk, such as older age, gender, family history, alcohol intake, physical activity, smoking status and body weight did not significantly alter these associations.

These data offer “persuasive evidence of a beneficial effect of vitamin C and fruit and vegetable intake on diabetes risk,” Forouhi and colleagues conclude.