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Fighting Lead Poisoning with Vitamin C
Muscle and joint pain, headaches, memory and concentration
problems,
nerve and digestive disorders, slowed growth -- these are just
a few of the
potential consequences of lead poisoning. Lead poisoning is caused
by
exposure to lead from our environment -- in old water pipes,
old painted toys
or furniture, or foods/liquids stored in lead crystal or lead-glazed
pottery. And
if you live in a house built before 1978, the paint on your walls
probably
contains lead.
Increasing evidence suggests that nutritional deficiencies
also affect levels of
lead in the human body (See "Get the Lead out with Vitamins"
in the
September 1999 To Your Health). A recent study published by the
Journal of
the American Medical Association found that subjects with high
levels of
vitamin C intake had less measureable lead in their bloodstream
than subjects
with low levels of vitamin C intake. Specifically, the data showed
that:
* Children with the higher vitamin C intake were 89% less
likely to have
elevated blood lead levels compared with youths with the lowest
intake; and
* Adults with the highest vitamin C intake were 65-68% less
likely to have
elevated blood lead levels compared with adults with the lowest
intake.
If you think lead poisoning isn't a problem anymore, think
again. The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed screening
programs
to identify childhood blood lead levels; among adults, work-related
lead
exposure has been targeted as an area of concern by the Occupational
Safety
and Health Administration. Your doctor can tell you more about
the dangers
of lead poisoning and what you can do to limit your exposure.
Simon JA, Hudes ES. Relationship of ascorbic acid to blood
lead levels. Journal
of the American Medical Association, June 23/30, 1999: Vol. 281,
No. 24,
pp2289-2293.
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