Background: It has been suggested that vitamin C can modify the composition of lipoproteins in healthy subjects.
Objective: To determine the possible modification of lipid levels in the presence of vitamin C, and the effect of various doses on lipid levels.
Design: This is a sequential open clinical trial, where the same individuals are used as their own controls, and where the same observer at random administers 1 or 2 g of oral vitamin C during a month, followed by a further month without treatment.
Patients: 124 healthy volunteers of both sexes, between 17 and 74 years of age, whose lifestyle was not modified during the study.
Measurement: At the beginning of the study a determination was made of lipid levels, risk factors such as age, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol use, weight and arterial pressure; at the end of the first month during vitamin C therapy, and again at the end of the second month without therapy, lipid levels were determined, namely, TG, TC, HDL-C, HDL2-C, HDL3-C, LDL-C, ApoA1, ApoB and Lp(a).
Results: After one month of treatment with 2 grams of vitamin C, a significant decrease of ApoB was observed, namely, 5.5% in females and 8% in males (p = 0.019). Vitamin C treatment shows the following differential data: a negative correlation of Lp(a) with HDL3-C, in both sexes; in males, the positive correlation of age with LDL-C and the negative correlation of tobacco with HDL-C disappear, positive correlations appear between physical activity and HDL-C, between tobacco and LDL-C, between weight and ApoB, between SBP and TG, and between DBP and ApoB; in females, the positive correlation between weight and TG, and the negative correlation between weight and HDL-C both disappear, negative correlations appear between physical activity and both TC and ApoB, between weight and HDL3-C, a positive correlation appears between DBP and HDL2-C. Compared to non-drinkers, in males who consume less than 50 grams of alcohol daily, vitamin C produces a significant decrease in DHL3-C, while the significant increase in Lp(a) disappears.
Conclusions: From the results in the follow-up of this group of healthy individuals, it can be deduced that vitamin C produces a decrease in ApoB in both sexes where 2 g are administered daily. When the risk factors are correlated, the results vary substantially, particularly with reference to the sex of the individuals. Women benefit much more than men from vitamin C therapy, especially when physical activity, weight and diastolic blood pressure are considered. Compared to non-drinkers, male drinkers demonstrate a decrease in HDL3-C, and the significant increase in Lp(a) disappears.