Vitamin C seems to be very beneficial for keeping diseases at bay. While vitamin C is known to lower risk of gout in men, it also controls the growth of cancer cells. Recently, scientists from the Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital (JGH) found that treatment with vitamin C may rapidly boost the emotional state of acutely hospitalized patients.
A double-blind clinical trial was initiated in which patients admitted to the JGH were randomly selected to receive vitamin C or vitamin D supplements for seven to ten days. As a result, it appeared that patients provided with vitamin C had a rapid, statistically and clinically significant improvement in mood state. Investigators were apparently unable to register any considerable alterations in mood of patients who were given vitamin D supplements.
Dr. L. John Hoffer, MD, PhD, an investigator at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, added, “About one in five acute-care patients in our hospital have vitamin C levels so low as to be compatible with scurvy. But patients are rarely given vitamin supplements. Most physicians are simply unaware of the problem. Subclinical deficiencies of vitamin C and D have each been linked to psychological abnormalities, so we examined that aspect in our clinical trial.â€
Previous investigations have claimed that most acutely hospitalized patients have inadequate levels of vitamins C and D in their blood. The treatment was affirmed to be safe, simple and affordable. Inclusion of vitamin C supplements may also have major clinical practice implications. It was suggested that a follow up in larger studies can be undertaken to approve the findings.
The study was published recently in the journal Nutrition.