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Article: Chemist says vitamin C can cause DNA damage while protecting cells.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- June 14, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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PHILADELPHIA _ For nearly three decades, millions of people have followed the lead of Nobel laureate Linus Pauling and popped vitamin C pills to fight the common cold and cancer. Scientists have long said the supplements don't appear to do any good, but probably are not harmful, either.
Today, however, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania report that, in test tube studies, vitamin C can cause DNA damage at the same time that it appears to protect cells.
No one is suggesting that Vitamin C supplements are causing cancer in humans _ if they did, the effect should have been seen by now. But it may be that the long-expected positives of taking ...