Dear Owen Fonrow
Deficiency of vitamin C leads to incomplete collagen synthesis causing scurvy and lesions in blood vessels. This is a proven fact. Role of lysine and proline is also known.
It is reported that Vitamin E also prevents heart disease. But Vitamin E is not the cause of scurvy. Does it reduce Lp(a) levels?
There are other Ayurvedic drugs used in India for treating atherosclerosis. They are mainly antioxidants.
Can i conclude that it is an antioxidant which is required in presence of lysine for collagen synthesis or it is specific to Vitamin C.
Regards
Dr. B. D.
In my opinion, vitamin E (and perhaps other antioxidants) can spare the usual low levels of vitamin C in the human body. But we know that it is not the antioxidant role of vitamin C that is important - rather, it is vitamin C's function as a co factor in the production of collagen.
One proof of this is that there are 4 sterioisomers of vitamin C - L- D- DL- and LD- but only L-ascorbate has vitamin C activity, can prevent/treat scurvy. However, the other forms of ascorbate are equivalent antioxidants.