Question

Smokers are advised to increase their vitamin C intake:

a. to protect their bodies from antioxidative damage.
b. because their bodies need more free radicals.
c. because their bodies need more antioxidants.
d. to protect their bodies from the reducing compounds found in smoke.

Answer 1

Smokers are recommended to increase their vitamin C intake to protect against oxidative damage from free radicals, which are produced in greater amounts due to smoking. Vitamin C acts as a powerful antioxidant to counteract this damage.

Step-by-step explanation:

Smokers are advised to increase their vitamin C intake to protect their bodies from antioxidative damage. This is because vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, which means it can help to prevent harm from free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons that cause oxidative damage in the body, and they are produced through both metabolic processes and exposure to environmental factors such as pollution and smoking. Vitamin C, along with vitamins E and A, are important dietary antioxidants that help to mitigate this damage. In particular, smokers need additional vitamin C to counteract the increased free radical production due to the harmful substances present in cigarette smoke.