Vitamin A & C Synergy

[Tom]

Here is an article from Life Extension Foundation on the benefits of taking vitamin A and C together, to inhibit B/C tumor cell growth. The link and full text are below.

http://www.lef.org/whatshot/index.html#vaac


May 3, 2006
Vitamin A and C synergistically fight breast cancer cell growth

A study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found that administering both vitamin A and vitamin C to cultured human breast cancer cells was more than three times as effective than the administration of either compound alone.

Korean researchers cultured a commonly used human breast cancer cell line for three days with five different concentrations of retinoic acid (vitamin A), four concentrations of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), or both compounds, then counted the number of cells. They found that while cell proliferation was inhibited by 20.7 in response to 100 nanomoles per liter retinoic acid, and by 23.3 percent with 1 millimole ascorbic acid, the combination of the two vitamins inhibited proliferation by 75.7 percent compared to untreated cells.

Microarray analysis detected the upregulation of 29 genes and down-regulation of 38 genes with the combined vitamin treatment. Among upregulated genes were those involved in differentiation, proliferation inhibition, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, and antioxidation (including upregulation of glutathione S-transferase and superoxide dismutase). Down-regulated genes included insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 5.

Vitamins A and C are among several that have been associated with a reduction in breast cancer risk in epidemiologic studies. The ability of retinoic acid to inhibit tumor cell proliferation is well known, although its mechanism has not been defined. The authors suggest that the synergistic effect observed in this study is due to ascorbic acid's ability to slow the degradation of retinoic acid, thereby increasing vitamin A's cell proliferation inhibitory effects.

"This is the first time the effect of combining retinoic and ascorbic acid on breast cancer cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and antioxidant-related gene expression has been studied," the Korean team announced. Further analysis is recommended to aid the design of better anticancer treatments.


—D Dye

Thanks!! for the info and loction if the website. I take 10K iu A and 400 iu D daily vitAmin suppliment. Blessings from Minnesota!

Oops! Forgot the vitamin C at 500 mg and E at 400 iu! :-}