Possible Interaction: Steroids and Vitamin C

“In addition, usage of steroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may cause deficiencies of alpha-tocopherol, carotenes, cobalamin, iron, zinc and vitamin C. Vitamin C , carotenes and alpha-tocopherol are anti-inflammatory and the major oxidant scavengers in the aqua phase and biomembranes.”

“The synthetic steroid also suppressed the depletion of vitamin C and cortisol of the initial to moderate stages.”

“Available options are to increase the estrogen dose to as much as 100 mg, to substitute valproic acid for other anticonvulsants, or to augment ethinyl estradiol levels by oral administration of ascorbic acid , which increases the bioavailability of the steroid.”

“In all four patients symptoms of scurvy developed which responded to vitamin C. Holley and McLester have suggested that ascorbic acid plays the part of a reducing mechanism in the production of the steroid hormones.”

“Recent reports suggest that administration of AA increases the level of steroids such as progesterone in the body.”

“Statistically significant changes were observed in the concentration of ascorbic acid in different endocrine organs/tissues following contraceptive steroid treatment, ovariectomy and during the estrous phases.”

“Intra-adrenal ascorbic acid AsA ) concentrations exert a braking or modulating effect upon steroid release.”

“The addition of 0.5 mM ascorbic acid increased the conversion of pregnenolone to delta 4 steroids and decreased its conversion to delta 5 steroids, relative to the other ascorbic acid treatments.”

“The results of this paper suggest that fluctuations in the cytosolic levels of ascorbic acid , glutathione, or glutathione reductase could play a role in the regulation of steroid 21-hydroxylase activity in vivo .”

“These data are consistent with the hypothesis that AA can influence production of steroids in female rainbow trout.”