Role of Vitamin C in Tuberculosis

The burden of tuberculosisTuberculosis (TB) has been weighing down medical efforts through human history for centuries. Despite global initiatives led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) in putting an end to TB, mortality is still at an alarming rate. WHO reported that in 2021, there were 10.6 million individuals falling ill from tuberculosis and 1.6 million deaths attributed to the diseaseDisease. On top of that is the rising rate of drug-resistant tuberculosis cases. Years of efforts into the management and treatmentTreatment of the disease have included studies into improving nutritional status both for preventing infection and improving treatmentTreatment outcomes. As poor nutritionNutrition is linked to reduced immune function, vitamin CVitamin C, a potent antioxidantAntioxidant and immune booster, has been looked into for its potential as an adjunct therapeutic agent in TB treatment. With world crises at stake, including territorial disputes and the advent of the COVID-19 pandemicCOVID-19, tuberculosis efforts have to be aggressive in order to put an end to this deadly infection. Readily available both from food sources and packed in nutritional supplements, and generally exhibiting a safe therapeutic profile, vitamin CVitamin C can be a promising addition to existing TB therapy most especially in high burden countries. This article will thus describe the actions of vitamin C as well as dietary considerations, pathophysiology of TB and associated complications in susceptible populations, and the role of vitamin CVitamin C in the preventionPrevention and/or treatmentTreatment of TB.