Effect of smoking cessation on plasma ascorbic acid concentration: Table 1

Numerous studies have shown that cigarette smokers have a lower plasma concentration of ascorbic acid than non-smokers, but only a few have considered the antioxidant status of ex-smokers.1 We report the first controlled study monitoring the early effect of smoking cessation on the concentration of ascorbic acid in plasma. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the local ethics committee. Two hundred volunteers were recruited through local advertisement and gave signed informed consent. Eligible subjects of both sexes (aged 35 to 65 years) had smoked at least 15 cigarettes a day for one year and declared motivation to stop. Exclusion criteria were known presence of disease; daily intake of drugs, including hormonal contraceptives; antioxidant supplements within the last month; …