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1st
appeared 23 June 1999
Vitamin C Levels Linked to Amount of Lead in
Blood
Despite the 1978 ban on lead-based paint for
residential use, lead poisoning continues to be a serious public health threat,
particularly for children because they are most susceptible to its effects.
In a new observational study, a pair of researchers at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs
Medical Center and UC San Francisco found that low levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in
the blood stream were associated with high blood levels of lead among Americans.
The study's findings, which are published in the June 23 issue of the Journal of the
American Medical Association (JAMA), also indicate that about half of one percent of all
Americans (more than a million people) have elevated levels of lead in their blood.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, current studies suggest that the
primary sources of lead exposure for most children are deteriorating lead-based paint,
lead-contaminated dust, and lead-contaminated residential soil. Prior to 1978, lead was
commonly used as a coloring agent and a stabilizer in paint.
"Vitamin C levels are an important independent correlate of blood lead levels among
Americans," says Joel Simon, SFVAMC staff physician and UCSF assistant professor of
medicine, epidemiology & biostatistics. "To our knowledge, this report is the
first population-based study to establish such an association. If a causal relation is
confirmed, increased consumption of ascorbic acid may have public health implications for
the prevention of lead toxicity."
As a preventive measure, Simon recommends increasing the amount of fresh fruits and
vegetables consumed everyday because of their vitamin C content as well as their many
other nutritional benefits. "Humans are one of the very few mammals that do not
produce vitamin C on their own," says Simon, "so all of it must be obtained from
dietary sources." If people are concerned they are not receiving the proper amount of
vitamins in their diets, Simon says a multiple vitamin or a modest dose vitamin C
supplement may be taken as an 'insurance policy.'
Links:
Full UCSF press release
Journal of the
American Medical Association
San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
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Source: James Larkin, News Services |
