Abstract
The possible usefulness of vitamin C (AsA ; Ascorbic acid) in cerebro and cardiovascular disease has been demonstrated in many studies. Through a series of epidemiological, experimental, clinical and ecological studies, we have investigated the roles of AsA in the prevention of arteriosclerosis. The results of our studies indicate that AsA status in one of most important nutritional factors in the prevention of cerebrovascular disease. The concept that AsA deficiency promote arteriosclerotic lesion are supported by the following observations. 1. Serum AsA is associated inversely with blood pressure or rate of hypertention in general people. 2. The supplement of AsA decrease blood pressure in elderly hypertensive subjects. 3. The supplement of AsA decrease serum total cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic subjects with relatively, well controlled diabetes mellitus (DM.) and in elderly hypercholesterolemic subjects with, perhaps, latent DM.. 4. Reference works show that high serum AsA concentration may inhibit the formaition of angiotoxic oxidized low density lipoprotein (LDL.) s an antioxidant in normocholesterolemic subjects. 5. Fruit, especially citrus fruit, intake is the most inportant index which discriminate between the low and high areas of death from cerebral hemorrhage in Kagoshima district.
