STOP AMERICA'S #1 KILLER! by Thomas E. Levy MD JD

Author:Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Medfox Publishing
Published: 2006-03-08T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Coronary Artery Calcium and Vitamin C Deficiency

The presence of calcium deposits in the coronary arteries is now known to be an independent predictor of premature coronary heart disease (Taylor et al., 2005). These researchers showed that among young, asymptomatic men the mere presence of coronary artery calcium was associated with an 11.8-fold increased risk for coronary heart disease. Also, among those individuals who had coronary artery calcification, they were also able to show an increasing risk of coronary heart disease with increasing degrees of calcification. In a recent epidemiological study Simon et al. (2004) demonstrated a higher prevalence of coronary artery calcium in men with “low to marginally low plasma ascorbic acid levels."

EXHIBIT 70

Presence of calcium deposits in coronary arteries associated with over 1000% increase in risk for Coronary Heart Disease.

The study of Simon et al. noted above correlating more coronary artery calcium with lower levels of vitamin C is not really surprising when the literature addressing the relationship between vitamin C and calcium metabolism is examined. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, and it is found in nearly all of the organized tissues in the body. Combined with phosphate, it forms calcium phosphate, the hard, dense material found in bones and teeth. Calcium is also important in its dissolved, ionic form, as it is essential for the normal beating of the heart and for the normal functioning of muscles and nerves. Furthermore, calcium is an integral part of the blood clotting mechanism, and many enzymes need calcium to function properly.

Bourne (1942), in looking at the role that vitamin C plays in the repair of injured tissues, noted that scurvy, the ultimate deficiency state of vitamin C, seemed to be associated with an increased excretion of calcium and a tendency not to be deposited in bone.

EXHIBIT 71

Atherosclerosislike calcium deposits found to be abnormally deposited in various tissues of individuals with scurvy.

Rather, Bourne noted that calcium had been found to be abnormally deposited in various tissues in scurvy in an unorganized, “amorphous” form, similar to the calcium deposits seen in atherosclerosis. This would suggest that severe vitamin C deficiency allows calcium to be mobilized from its large reservoir in the bone and to be excreted in greater amounts, as well as to be redeposited elsewhere.

Such a mechanism would appear to favor the development of osteoporosis (thinned-out, brittle bones) and lessened bone mineral density. In fact, Morton et al. (2001) found that postmenopausal women who took vitamin C supplements had greater bone mineral density. Hall and Greendale (1998) also found higher bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with greater dietary vitamin C intake.

EXHIBIT 72

Postmenopausal women who supplement with vitamin C found to have greater bone mineral density.

Melhus et al. (1999) looked at 66,651 female smokers and concluded that inadequate dietary intake of vitamins C and E probably increased the risk of hip fracture in these women. Leveille et al. (1997) found that women from 55 to 64 years of age who had supplemented vitamin C for 10 years

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.