Vitamin C and Asthma in Children
In a placebo-controlled, crossover study involving 60 asthmatic children between the ages of 7 and 10 years, administration of 0.2 g/d vitamin C for a period of 6 weeks was found to exert beneficial effects in certain sub-groups of children, depending on age, baseline scores on the childhood asthma control test (C-ACT), and exposure to dampness or mold in their bedroom, demonstrating that the effects of vitamin C in asthmatic children are heterogeneous. In children 7-8.2 years with baseline C-ACT of 18-19 points (scale ranges from 0-27), vitamin C was associated with increases in C-ACT by 4.2 points, as compared to an increase in 1.3 points in children aged 8.3 to 10 years who had a baseline C-ACT of 14-15 points. In addition, vitamin C was associated with a 37% increase in FEV1 level in children 7-8.2 years with no exposure to dampness, as compared to a 21% increase in children 8.3-10 years with exposure to dampness or mold in their bedroom more than one year prior to the study. The authors conclude, “Further research is needed to confirm our findings and identify the groups of children who would receive the greatest benefit from vitamin C supplementation.
Click
here to read the full text of this article.
