[Science Report]:Vitamin C and DNA


This is the VOA SpecialEnglish Science Report.

. cientists at the University of Pennsylvania experimented withvitamin C in test tubes. They published the results in thepublication Science.

The scientists studied the effects of vitamin C on a substanceproduced in the body from fat. That substance is calledhydroperoxide. The hydroperoxide can be changed in a cell intosubstances that can damage DNA. The scientists found that vitamin Ceasily changed the hydroperoxide into the gene-damaging poisons.Such damage is the first step toward developing cancer.

However, the scientists said the study does not mean that vitaminC causes cancer. But they said people should probably re-considertaking large amounts of vitamin C pills each day. They say it iswell known that vitamin C is important for human health. But theysay people can get enough vitamin C in the foods they eat. Earlierstudies have shown that eating a lot of fruits, vegetables andgrains can reduce the chance of developing both heart disease andcancer.

Other researchers agreed. They said the latest study is importantin understanding the chemistry of vitamin C. But they said the studydid not involve people. The vitamin C was tested in the laboratoryonly. They said the results might be different in living cells.

Mark Levine is a vitamin C expert at the National Institutes ofHealth near Washington, D.C. He also questioned whether a similarstudy in people would produce the same results. Doctor Levine alsosaid people should get their vitamin C in food instead of takinghuge amounts in pills to stay healthy. He said research does notsupport taking a lot of vitamin C.

The United States government says people should get about eightymilligrams of vitamin C each day in the foods they eat. Studies haveshown that the body can not use more than two-hundred milligrams ofvitamin C each day. Medical researchers say that taking vitamin Cpills cannot replace the value of eating healthy foods.

This VOA Special English Science Report was written by NancySteinbach.

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