Vitamin C
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Ingestion of megadoses of vitamin C inhibited elevation of glucocorticoid hormone levels, limited reduction of adrenal ascorbic acid and reduced other typical indicators of physical and emotional stress in rats, researchers report in a study released Aug. 22 at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in New Orleans. Rats were fed 100 mg of vitamin C twice daily for three weeks, and stress was produced daily. Vitamin C treatment elevated levels of circulating IgG antibody to a lesser extent in the stressed subjects than in the non-stressed subjects, suggesting an increased tolerance for vitamin C under stressful conditions, the investigators say. The researchers conclude vitamin C may reduce the debilitation and illness associated with chronic stress by inhibiting glucocorticoid secretion and immunosuppression