A new study from the University of Waterloo uses mathematical modeling to examine how vitamin C affects chemical reactions in the digestive system that are associated with the development of cancer.
Over the past few decades, exposure to nitrates and nitrites has steadily increased in North American diets. Nitrates and nitrites are compounds found in cured meats and fruits and vegetables grown using contaminated soil or water. Nitrates and nitrites play important roles in nerve and heart health, but in the stomach they can undergo a chemical reaction known as nitrosation, forming chemicals that many scientists suspect increase cancer risk.
Since at least the 1990s, researchers have been studying the link between cancer and these compounds, but the results have been conflicting. Our study suggests that the presence of dietary vitamin C may help explain these discrepancies. ”
Dr. Gordon McNicol, Postdoctoral Fellow in Applied Mathematics and lead author of the study
The research team built mathematical models of the salivary glands, stomach, small intestine, and blood plasma to simulate how nitrite and nitrate move through the body and change over time. Their model demonstrated that when vitamin C is present in foods, such as leafy vegetables such as spinach, which contain both vitamin C and nitrates, cancer risk may be reduced.
The study also suggested that taking vitamin C supplements after every meal may have a modest positive effect in reducing the production of nitrosation products associated with cancer risk from dietary nitrites and nitrates found in foods such as bacon and salami.
The researchers hope these findings will support future nutritional research.
“This study provides a mechanistic roadmap for future clinical and laboratory studies by identifying key interacting factors of these potentially harmful chemical reactions, including nitrite exposure, antioxidant intake, meal timing, gastric health, and oral microbiome activity,” said Dr. Anita Leighton, Professor of Applied Mathematics and Canada 150 Research Chair. “This model can help researchers design more targeted experiments and interventions by focusing on when and in whom nitrosation is most likely to occur.”
The study, “Vitamin C as a nitrosation inhibitor: A modeling study across dietary patterns and water quality,” Journal of Theoretical Biology.
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Reference magazines:
GR McNicol others. (2026). Vitamin C as a nitrosation inhibitor: A model study across dietary patterns and water quality. Journal of Theoretical Biology. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2026.112444. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002251932600069X?via%3Dihub
