In Brief: Vitamins E & C

Vitamins E & C: Researchers at the University of Munich show concomitant oral doses of vitamins C and E provide a protective effect against sunburn. Their study, published in the January issue of the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology, involved 20 subjects: 10 given placebo and 10 given 2 g vitamin C and 1,000 IU vitamin E. The subjects were exposed to UV doses at baseline and after eight days to determine their threshold for UV radiation (MED). The researchers found that the vitamin group's median MED increased from 80 to 96.5 mJ/cm2 while the MED declined in the placebo group from 80 to 68.5 mJ/cm2. "Combined vitamins C and E reduce the sunburn reaction, which might indicate a consequent reduced risk for later sequelae [i.e., skin cancer] of UV-induced skin damage," the researchers conclude...