| A new report found that exposure to secondhand
smoke could lower the levels of vitamin C in the blood, especially among
children, Reuters reported March 6.
The study by Dr. Richard S. Strauss of the University of Medicine and
Dentistry at the New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New
Brunswick, looked at 3,000 children between the ages of 4 and 18 who were
exposed to passive smoke.
Strauss found that children and adolescents exposed to secondhand smoke
had 20 percent less vitamin C in their blood than those not exposed. The
low levels were present regardless of how much vitamin C they took in food
and multivitamins. Vitamin C protects against heart disease and is needed
for growth and development.
The study is published in the March issue of Pediatrics.
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