ID 141 - Witamina C

PL: Witamina C
EN: Vitamin C
Pdf: vitamin C

Oświadczenie (2)

1. Charakterystyka żywności / składnika

The food constituent that is the subject of the health claim is vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, ascorbate), which is a well recognised nutrient and it is measurable in foods by established methods.
Vitamin C occurs naturally in foods. Ascorbic acid and its salts (ascorbates) are the forms authorised for addition to foods and for use in food supplements (Annex II of the Regulation (EC) No 1925/20065 and Annex II of Directive 2002/46/EC6). This evaluation applies to vitamin C naturally present in foods and those forms authorised for addition to foods (Annex II of the Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 and Annex II of Directive 2002/46/EC).
The Panel considers that the food constituent, vitamin C, which is the subject of the health claim, is sufficiently characterised.

2.3. Utrzymanie prawidłowego wzroku (ID 141, 142)

The claimed effects are “eye health, free-radical scavenger” and “eye health”. The Panel assumes that the target population is the general population.
In the context of the proposed wordings, the Panel notes that the claimed effects relates to the maintenance of normal vision.
The Panel considers that maintenance of normal vision is beneficial to human health.

3. Naukowe uzasadnienia wpływu na zdrowie człowieka - 

The evidence provided by consensus opinions/reports from authoritative bodies and reviews shows that there is good consensus on the role of vitamin C in the body (Bender, 2003; Garrow et al., 2000; IoM, 2000; NNR, 2004; Sadler et al., 1999; Shils et al., 2006; EVM, 2002). Vitamin C is an electron donor, or reducing agent, and its functions are attributable to this action (Shils et al., 2006). On the one hand, vitamin C acts as a major free-radical scavenger in the body, and as electron donor (and cofactor) for eight human enzymes, three of which participate in the biosynthesis (and cross-linking) of collagen and other components of the connective tissue, two of them are required in the biosynthesis of carnitine, one in tyrosine metabolism and two in the biosynthesis of the catecholamines adrenaline and noradrenaline (which act as neurotransmitters) and in the amidation of peptide hormones.

3.3. Utrzymanie prawidłowego wzroku (ID 141, 142)

The references cited in relation to vitamin C and eye health in humans consist of observational studies (either cross-sectional or prospective cohort studies) reporting associations between vitamin C intake, plasma concentrations of vitamin C or use of vitamin C supplements and lower risk of age-related lens opacities (either nuclear or cortical cataract). Animal, ex vivo and in vitro studies reporting vitamin C concentrations in tears, lens damage in vitamin C deficiency or after UV radiation exposure, and one narrative review on the role of antioxidant compounds in general in cataract prevention were also provided.
All the human studies presented to support this claim have been subject to extensive reviews (Chiu and Taylor, 2007; Meyer and Sekundo, 2005). Eight out of 15 studies found that increased vitamin C intake, supplement use, or blood concentrations were related to diminished risk for nuclear cataract. Long-term duration of supplementation (>10 years) was most frequently associated with the reduction of risk, and the presence of diabetes mellitus could affect this association. Only three out of ten studies found that increased vitamin C intake, supplement use, or blood concentrations were related to diminished risk for cortical cataract. One study found that increased vitamin C supplement use was related to increased risk for cortical cataract in non-diabetic subjects and decreased the risk for cortical cataract in diabetics. The remaining six studies showed no effect, including the AREDS intervention. Only three out of eight studies found that increased vitamin C intake or elevated blood concentrations were related to diminished risk for posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC). The remaining five studies showed no effect, including the AREDS intervention. Two out of four studies found that increased vitamin C supplement use or blood concentrations were related to diminished risk for mixed cataract, including the REACT intervention. Finally, only two out of six studies found that vitamin C supplement use is related to diminished risk for cataract extraction. The four remaining studies showed no effect, including the AREDS intervention (Chiu and Taylor, 2007; Meyer and Sekundo, 2005).
The Panel notes that, despite the fact that vitamin C supplement use and elevated blood concentrations of vitamin C have been inversely associated with at least one type of cataract in many (but not all) epidemiological studies, four out of the seven randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled intervention trials investigating the effects of antioxidant vitamin supplements on cataract risk have found no effect of supplementation, and that no large-scale intervention trial on cataract prevention has been reported on which vitamin C has been administered as the sole supplement (Chiu and Taylor, 2007; Levin et al., 2006).
The Panel concludes that the evidence provided is insufficient to establish a cause and effect relationship between the dietary intake of vitamin C and the maintenance of normal vision.

Warunki i możliwe ograniczenia stosowania oświadczenia

Must meet minimum requirements for use of the claim "source of [name of vitamin/s] and/or [name of mineral/s], source of protein etc (delete as appropriate)" as per Annex to Regulation 1924/2006. Agency guidance for supplements is that products containin