Vitamin C helps people keep healthy life

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical President Kim Hyun-sig delivers a congratulatory speech during an opening event at the 6th International Symposium on Vitamin C at The Plaza Hotel Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Kwangdong Pharmaceutical

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical holds 6th International Symposium on vitamin C

By Lee Kyung-min

Vitamin C can help people maintain health by helping them better manage osteoporosis, diabetes and fatigue, according to experts Tuesday.

Over 1,000 experts on medicine, pharmacology and health products discussed the health benefits from long-term intake of vitamin C during a biennial international symposium at The Plaza Hotel Seoul.

Organized by the Korean Society of Food Science and Technology (KoSFoST) and hosted by Kwangdong Pharmaceutical, the 6th International Symposium on Vitamin C was held under the theme of "Healthy Life with Vitamin C."

Researchers from Korea, the U.S. and Denmark shared surveys and studies aimed at observing the effects of vitamin C, such as combating aging and fatigue as well as fighting diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

"Since the first event in 2008, we have made efforts to study and raise public awareness on the efficacy of vitamin C," Kwangdong President Kim Hyun-sig said in a congratulatory speech.

This year's symposium is focused on extending life expectancy and quality of life using vitamin C, as well as its effects on disease prevention.

"The need to take quality supplements regularly is ever-increasing for all generations as they seek healthy life. We are confident our affordable product would be ideal for them," he said.

Various effects of vitamin C

Linus Pauling Institute professor Dr. Jan Fred Stevens said vitamin C supplementation can help people who have a medical condition called angina, a chest pain ― in the form of pressure or squeezing ― caused when the heart muscle doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood.

Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease, the most common heart disease. Many patients are prescribed glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) to treat the condition, the efficacy of which tends to decrease following continued use for several weeks as they develop tolerance to nitrate, increasing the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart thereby expanding the arteries and veins in the body.

"Although the cause of nitrate tolerance has remained poorly understood, clinicians have known since the 1990s vitamin C supplementation may help prevent nitrate tolerance development. The efficacy of vitamin C should be further studied as a simple and inexpensive strategy to prevent nitrate tolerance," he said.

According to Linus Pauling Institute, vitamin C has many important functions but unlike most animals, humans have lost the ability to synthesize their own vitamin C and must therefore obtain it from diet. Fresh fruit and vegetables are the best source of vitamin C, but taking it regularly in supplement form is sometimes needed.

Dr. Fiona Harrison, a professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the U.S., speaks at the 6th International Symposium on Vitamin C at The Plaza Hotel Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Kwangdong Pharmaceutical

Dr. Fiona Harrison, a professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the U.S., said supplementation of vitamin C is particularly needed for diabetes patients as many of them are not allowed to eat fruit or drink beverages due to sugar content.

The diabetes specialist also said vitamin C deficiency in some cases negatively affected cognitive and memory function, citing studies.

For example, mice that developed under low vitamin C conditions have poorer motor abilities than those that developed in adequately supplemented pregnancies, and mice that carry the genes for Alzheimer's disease perform better on tests of learning and memory following long-term dietary supplementation with vitamins C and E.

It is possible, she maintains, to survive in a relatively healthy state with low levels of vitamin C and not develop scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency characterized by swollen bleeding gums, but maximal brain health requires much greater vitamin C intake, which can be derived from food or dietary supplements.

The principle investigator at Harrison Lab focuses on the role of vitamin C and its transporters in brain function during development and in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's.

The emphasis in the lab is on factors that drive Alzheimer's, particularly in its early stages, thereby offering the potential to delay or prevent disease development and cognitive decline. "Studies support the role of vitamin C deficiency in increased seizure susceptibility, which may be particularly relevant in Alzheimer's. We cannot cure Alzheimer's, not even close, but we can treat vitamin C deficiency."

Konkuk University professor An Hee-jeung said vitamin C intake significantly helps improve bone recovery activity and plays an important role in overall skeletal strength. Kyung Hee University professor Park Ji-ho said his findings suggest vitamin C intake could help decrease blood pressure.

Dr. John Wilson, a professor at the University of Buffalo, said high-dose vitamin C injections can function for sepsis patients as adjunct therapy, or add-on therapy, given in addition to the primary or initial therapy to maximize its effectiveness, as it could reduce inflammation almost always caused by infection, the complication of which could result in sepsis, a major cause of death.

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical's major cash cow, Vita 500, a vitamin C drink, continues to be the best seller in the market. It was developed to help people increase their daily vitamin intake by offering it as a beverage rather than pills, which are harder to swallow.

It posted sales of more than 20 million bottles in four months when it was introduced in 2001. By consolidated financial statements, the firm posted 1.14 trillion won ($1.06 billion) in sales last year, coming in third in the industry after Yuhan Corp. and Green Cross Corp.