Immune function in aged women is improved by ingestion of vitamins C and E.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Uncontrolled before-and-after interventional study without a separate randomized or concurrent control group
What was done
Thirty older women (mean age 72 ± 6 years)—including 10 healthy controls, 10 with major depressive disorder, and 10 with coronary heart disease—received daily supplementation of 1 g vitamin C and 200 mg vitamin E for 16 weeks. Blood samples taken before and after the intervention were analyzed for lymphoproliferative response to phytohemagglutinin (20 mg/L), polymorphonuclear (PMN) neutrophil phagocytic functions (endothelial adherence, chemotaxis, latex bead phagocytosis, superoxide anion production), and serum levels of cortisol and lipid peroxides.
What was found
Supplementation was followed by statistically significant increases in lymphoproliferative capacity and PMN neutrophil phagocytic functions, alongside significant decreases in serum cortisol and lipid peroxides in both healthy women and those with depression or coronary heart disease. The abstract reports directional statistical significance but provides no exact baseline numbers, post-treatment values, or p-values.
Why it matters
This study provides preliminary evidence that combined high-dose antioxidant supplementation might enhance in vitro immune markers and reduce circulating oxidative stress markers in older women.
Limits
The study is small (n = 30 total, 10 per subgroup) and lacks a parallel untreated or placebo-controlled arm to control for time, diet, or trial effects. The abstract gives no quantitative measurements or effect sizes. The sample was restricted entirely to elderly females, and clinical outcomes (such as infection rates or disease progression) were not evaluated.
Cited by
- supports Human studies have shown that vitamin C can enhance neutrophil function in young men aged 18 to 30 as well as in older women.