Vitamin C as A Possible Immunity Booster

Anju Agrawal

doi:10.18535/ijsrm/v11i02.mp02

Abstract

Deficiency in vitamin C, an essential micronutrient and antioxidant, may result in a compromised immune response because of its central role in immune system regulation. How effective Vitamin C might be in preventing and treating infections is an important question to answer. We reviewed the literature to learn more about vitamin C's role in the health of white blood cells (WBCs) and the expression of genes involved in the immune system and to consider whether or not vitamin C could enhance current therapies.

Keywords

Vitamin CAscorbic Acidimmunity1

References

Santos, K. L., Bragança, V. A., Pacheco, L. V., Ota, S. S., Aguiar, C. P., & Borges, R. S. (2021). Essential features for antioxidant capacity of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Journal of Molecular Modeling, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00894-021-04994-9DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗
Morelli, M. B., Gambardella, J., Castellanos, V., Trimarco, V., & Santulli, G. (2020). Vitamin C and Cardiovascular Disease: An update. Antioxidants, 9(12), 1227. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9121227DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗
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[refR-1] Santos, K. L., Bragança, V. A., Pacheco, L. V., Ota, S. S., Aguiar, C. P., & Borges, R. S. (2021). Essential features for antioxidant capacity of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Journal of Molecular Modeling, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00894-021-04994-9DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-2] Morelli, M. B., Gambardella, J., Castellanos, V., Trimarco, V., & Santulli, G. (2020). Vitamin C and Cardiovascular Disease: An update. Antioxidants, 9(12), 1227. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9121227DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-3] Ravindran, R. D., Vashist, P., K. Gupta, S., S. Young, I., Maraini, G., Camparini, M., Jayanthi, R., John, N., Fitzpatrick, K. E., Chakravarthy, U., Ravilla, T. D., & Fletcher, A. E. (2011). Prevalence and risk factors for vitamin C deficiency in north and South India: A two centre population based study in people aged 60 years and over. PLoS ONE, 6(12). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0028588DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-4] Liang, X.-P., Li, Y., Hou, Y.-M., Qiu, H., & Zhou, Q.-C. (2015). Effect of dietary vitamin C on the growth performance, antioxidant ability and innate immunity of juvenile yellow catfish (pelteobagrus fulvidracorichardson). Aquaculture Research, 48(1), 149–160. https://doi.org/10.1111/are.12869DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-5] Qin, X., Liu, J., Du, Y., Li, Y., Zheng, L., Chen, G., & Cao, Y. (2019). Different doses of vitamin C supplementation enhances the th1 immune response to early plasmodium yoelii 17XL infection in BALB/C mice. International Immunopharmacology, 70, 387–395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intimp.2019.02.031DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-6] El-Senousey, H. K., Chen, B., Wang, J. Y., Atta, A. M., Mohamed, F. R., & Nie, Q. H. (2018). In OVO injection of ascorbic acid modulates antioxidant defense system and immune gene expression in newly hatched local Chinese yellow broiler chicks. Poultry Science, 97(2), 425–429. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pex310DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-7] Huang, Q., Zhang, S., Du, T., Yang, Q., Chi, S., Liu, H., Yang, Y., Dong, X., & Tan, B. (2019). Modulation of growth, immunity and antioxidant‐related gene expressions in the liver and intestine of juvenilesillago sihamaby dietary vitamin C. Aquaculture Nutrition, 26(2), 338–350. https://doi.org/10.1111/anu.12996DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-8] Likittrakulwong, W., Poolprasert, P., Hanthongkul, W., & Roytrakul, S. (2022). Effects of intramuscular injections of vitamins AD3E and C in combination on fertility, immunity, and proteomic and transcriptomic analyses of dairy cows during early gestation. BioTech, 11(2), 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech11020020DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-9] De la Fuente, M., Sánchez, C., Vallejo, C., Díaz-Del Cerro, E., Arnalich, F., & Hernanz, Á. (2020). Vitamin C and vitamin C plus e improve the immune function in the elderly. Experimental Gerontology, 142, 111118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2020.111118DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-10] Hemilä, H., & Koivula, T. (2013). Vitamin C for preventing and treating tetanus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd006665.pub3DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-11] Chen, C.-Y., Chiu, C.-T., Lee, H.-S., & Lai, C.-C. (2022). The impact of vitamin C-containing treatment on the mortality of patients with sepsis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 15(12), 1514–1520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2022.11.015DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-12] Suter, M., Bollen Pinto, B., Belletti, A., & Putzu, A. (2022). Efficacy and safety of perioperative vitamin C in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis of Randomised Trials. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 128(4), 664–678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2021.11.039DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-13] Li, S., Li, S., Zhao, Q., Huang, J., Meng, J., Yan, W., Wang, J., Ren, C., & Hao, L. (2022). Mechanisms of vitamin C regulating immune and inflammation associated with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy based on network pharmacology and Molecular Simulation Technology. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2022, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4904325DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-14] Yue, X., & Rao, A. (2020). Tet family dioxygenases and the Tet activator vitamin C in immune responses and cancer. Blood, 136(12), 1394–1401. https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2019004158DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-15] Kwak, S. G., Choo, Y. J., & Chang, M. C. (2022). The effectiveness of high-dose intravenous vitamin C for patients with coronavirus disease 2019: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 64, 102797. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2021.102797DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗