Do Spinal Cord Injury Cases Need More Antioxidants?
A new study to define the antioxidant needs of people with spinal cord injuries should also help clarify the nutrient requirements of other, less severely injured individuals. The investigation, apparently the first of its kind, will determine whether paralyzed people need more antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, and E, or beta-carotene a compound that the body uses to make vitamin A. The findings could also be applicable in determining the antioxidant requirements of people who have injuries that leave them sedentary for months at a time or who are gradually losing their mobility because of worsening arthritis, for example. ARS and University of California at Davis scientists aim to work with 75 northern California adults with spinal cord injuries to learn about their eating habits and to test their antioxidant levels. The findings may help paralyzed people live longer and healthier lives. Right now, Americans with spinal cord injuries live only about 80 percent as long as t
