"The Use Of Vitamin C In The Treatment
Of Tinnitus and Hearing Loss..."

Tinnitus is sometimes caused by impaired blood flow to the ears, which can happen in two ways.

The tiny artery leading to the inner ear can get clogged with cholesterol, causing a kind of stroke in the ear.

Loud noises can send this artery into spasm, reducing blood supply to the cochlea.

In either case, an interrupted blood supply can lead to hearing problems.

That's where antioxidant nutrients such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E are so important!

Antioxidants work by helping to prevent oxygen-caused damage to cell membranes.

Antioxidants also help keep arteries open and free of plaque buildup.

Most of the people in this study had tinnitus for six years or longer.

"We're conducting research projects that explore the role of vitamin C in cardiovascular disease, cancer, HIV infection, cataracts, skin health and other physiological and pathological conditions," says Stephen Lawson, chief executive officer of the Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine in Palo Alto, California

There's good reason to believe that further research will bear even more fruit.

Dozens of studies strongly suggest that vitamin C plays a role in preventing a variety of diseases. And there is a growing number of doctors who are using the nutrient to treat disease as well.

Vitamin C is thought to help protect the esophagus, oral cavity, stomach, pancreas, the cervix, rectum and breasts from cancer.

Some forms of cancer are thought to be caused by what are called free radicals, naturally occurring renegade molecules that damage your body's healthy molecules (such as DNA, in the case of cancer) by stealing electrons to balance themselves.

Vitamin C and other substances known as antioxidants neutralize free radicals by offering their own electrons, minimizing oxidative damage to DNA and other molecules, explains Balz Frei, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine and biochemistry at Boston University School of Medicine. Nitrites, which are potentially cancer-causing preservatives found in foods such as hot dogs and lunchmeats, and nitrates which are found naturally in vegetables and drinking wate are also neutralized by vitamin C.

The long arm of vitamin C's antioxidant protection may also extend to heart health. In studies that looked at vitamin C and cholesterol levels, researchers found those who had high blood levels of vitamin C showed reduced risk of heart disease.

And in lab experiments, high concentrations of vitamin C have also been found to inhibit the growth of smooth muscle cells in artery walls. The abnormally high growth activity of these cells has been considered one of the initial steps in the development of cardiovascular disease, says Vadim Ivanov, Ph.D., head of the cardiovascular research program at the Linus Pauling Institute.

Vitamin C's role as an antioxidant may even help delay or prevent cataract formation. The nutrient may be beneficial because ultraviolet light and oxidative stress in the lens of your eye are thought to be leading causes of cataract formation. Vitamin C can help prevent the damage caused by oxidative stress.

Cold sufferers have raved for years about vitamin C's effect on what ails them. Research shows that high intake of this water-soluble vitamin actually supercharges some of your immune system's most important defense cells, helping them to move faster while tracking down potential pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.

That means you may not be able to prevent a cold by taking vitamin C, but you can probably make it shorter and less severe.

Not only that, but vitamin C has also been found to reduce the body's levels of histamine, a chemical released by the body that can dampen immune response, says Carol Johnston, Ph.D., associate professor of food and nutrition at Arizona State University in Tempe.

This antihistamine benefit may also be good news for folks suffering from asthma or allergies. Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that people who got at least 200 milligrams of vitamin C a day had a 30 percent reduced risk of bronchitis or wheezing compared with people who got about 100 milligrams of vitamin C a day.

Researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute have found that vitamin C inhibits replication of HIV, at least in infected cells in the laboratory.

One day, people with diabetes may also benefit from vitamin C. An animal study seemed to show that vitamin C helps regulate insulin release. And a human study showed that vitamin C prevents the sugar inside cells from converting to a chemical called sorbitol. This sugar alcohol, which accumulates in the cells, has been implicated in diabetes-related eye, nerve and kidney damage.

As if all of that weren't enough, vitamin C has long been known to protect gums, joints, ligaments, artery walls and skin. It also improves wound healing by aiding the production of collagen, the building block of tissues. "About one-third of your body's protein is collagen, which means you're in pretty bad shape without vitamin C," says Dr. Johnston.

Early signs of vitamin C depletion include weakness and lethargy, followed by delayed wound healing. If stores are completely exhausted--a rare occurrence today--scurvy appears. Its symptoms include dementia, bleeding gums, tooth loss, hemorrhages and pain in muscles, bones and joints.