Sauberlich H E
Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294.
Annu Rev Nutr. 1994;14:371-91. doi: 10.1146/annurev.nu.14.070194.002103.
A better understanding of the functions of ascorbic acid would help clarify the magnitude of the influence of this vitamin on health-related conditions. Many of the purported benefits require confirmation as well as a knowledge of the mechanism of action. The majority of investigations of the association of vitamin C with various types of cancer, with cardiovascular risk, and with cataract formation were epidemiologic studies. Often it was not possible to discern whether the apparent protective effect was due to vitamin C, vitamin E, or carotene, or to a combined effect of these nutrients or of additional factors. Human intervention trials may provide definitive and quantitative assessments of the role of vitamin C in health maintenance. We need to gain a more thorough understanding of the interactions of vitamin C with other nutrients, such as vitamin E and carotenoids, in order to appreciate the role of vitamin C in disease prevention. Investigators are increasingly recognizing the diverse functions of vitamin C in the body in addition to its role in collagen synthesis. However, the functional consequences of these many important roles of vitamin C remain essentially unknown. Excluding scurvy, the health consequences of inadequate vitamin C status are not well characterized. Nonetheless, epidemiologic evidence suggests a role for vitamin C in cancer and heart disease as well as in a number of other diseases.
更好地了解抗坏血酸的功能将有助于阐明这种维生素对健康相关状况的影响程度。许多所谓的益处需要得到证实，同时也需要了解其作用机制。大多数关于维生素C与各类癌症、心血管疾病风险以及白内障形成之间关联的研究都是流行病学研究。通常无法确定明显的保护作用是由于维生素C、维生素E、胡萝卜素，还是这些营养素或其他因素的综合作用。人体干预试验可能会对维生素C在维持健康中的作用提供明确和定量的评估。我们需要更全面地了解维生素C与其他营养素（如维生素E和类胡萝卜素）之间的相互作用，以便认识到维生素C在疾病预防中的作用。研究人员越来越认识到维生素C在体内除了在胶原蛋白合成中的作用外，还具有多种功能。然而，维生素C这些众多重要作用的功能后果基本上仍不为人所知。除了坏血病外，维生素C摄入不足对健康的影响尚未得到很好的描述。尽管如此，流行病学证据表明维生素C在癌症、心脏病以及其他一些疾病中发挥作用。
