A substance that eventually becomes vitamin C and that can cross into the area surrounding the brain appears to prevent stroke-related brain damage in mice.
During stroke, the blood supply to the brain is cut off. But brain damage from stroke can also occur just at the moment that the blood supply returns, because the blood contains damaging free radicals. Vitamin C can limit the effects of free radicals, but it cannot cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the brain.
To get around this problem, researchers studied a substance known as dehydroascorbic acid (DHA), which is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. After doing so, DHA is then converted by enzymes into vitamin C.
They wanted to see whether DHA could protect against stroke-related brain damage, so they injected mice with vitamin C, DHA, or an inactive (control) substance, either before or after a stroke.
The investigators found that DHA, also known as a precursor of vitamin C, decreased the amount of damaged brain tissue and improved brain function in mice when it was given both 15 minutes and 3 hours after the stroke.
The results suggest that an antioxidant precursor that readily penetrates the blood-brain barrier has great promise in the treatment of stroke in humans.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences September 25, 2001;98:11720-11724
An interesting observation that a derivative of vitamin C may be useful in stroke treatment. Please understand and be quite clear however that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. When a stroke has occurred "the horse is already out of the barn" and one needs to use relatively drastic interventions to recover from the damage of a stroke.
Please do not confuse the DHA precursor of vitamin C with the essential fatty acid DHA that is part of fish oil. They are two entirely different molecules that just happen to share the same biochemical acronym.
It would make sense to consider the intervention described above if you or someone you know has had a stroke. However, being proactive here makes much more sense, and it would be very helpful to implement incorporation of several pounds of vegetables a day into the diet. Following the juicing program is a simple and effective way to make sure you receive this amount of vegetables.
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