Vitamin C supplementation during pregnancy may reduce wheeze in children of smoking mothers, researchers found.
The effects expanded as children aged, a new analysis of trial data showed.
A new analysis of randomized clinical trial data showed that vitamin C supplementation during pregnancy may reduce wheeze in the offspring of mothers who smoke, researchers reported in JAMA Pediatrics.
The analysis identified a lower occurrence of wheeze among offspring of smoking mothers who received vitamin C supplementation during pregnancy compared with those born to smoking mothers who did not — a result of vitamin C’s ability to improve airway function, according to Cindy T. McEvoy, MD, MCR, professor of pediatrics and director of child health research at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, and colleagues.
The findings “provide evidence for a direct association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and wheeze occurrence in the offspring,” they wrote.
McEvoy and colleagues conducted a new longitudinal analysis of forced expiratory flows (FEFs) obtained from children enrolled in a randomized clinical trial that previously found that vitamin C supplementation, in conjunction with smoking cessation counseling, significantly increased airway function through 12 months of age among the offspring of pregnant smokers.
The double-blind randomized trial was conducted at three clinical sites, with McEvoy and colleagues randomly assigning women who were pregnant and could not quit smoking cigarettes to receive either a daily 500 mg vitamin C supplement or placebo. They measured FEFs in the offspring at age 3 and 12 months and 5 years.
“We collected quarterly respiratory questionnaires on the offspring through 5 years of age that documented their clinical respiratory outcomes,” McEvoy told Healio. “We also collected yearly DNA samples from cheek swabs on the offspring so we could explore the role of epigenetics in making the protective effects of vitamin C long lasting and also carefully measured secondhand tobacco exposure to make sure it was equal between groups.”
Among 243 offspring, longitudinal FEF analyses at age 5 years demonstrated significantly higher values for the offspring of the vitamin C group (P < .001) and a greater increase in FEF with increasing age, with wheeze occurrence significantly lower (OR = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.23-0.74) in the vitamin C group.
A new mediation analysis conducted by McEvoy and colleagues found that “most of the vitamin C association with wheeze” — total proportion, 54% — “was mediated through the vitamin C association with increased FEF,” they wrote.
“I think we were all very surprised that the effect just seems to be getting bigger over time. If anything, we might have suspected that the protective effect might decrease over time, but it’s been the opposite,” McEvoy said. “It is quite remarkable, and we are cautiously optimistic that we are improving the lifelong respiratory outcomes of these children.”
McEvoy said she is interested in conducting a “simpler, larger study” to confirm the findings under typical prenatal practice conditions.
“While our data certainly strongly support the use of vitamin C by pregnant smokers, a definitive, real-world study in which everything is not as tightly controlled as it has been in our studies has not yet been performed,” McEvoy said. “We always like to mention that, because our and others’ data suggest nicotine is the ingredient in tobacco that harms the lung. Vaping during pregnancy will probably harm the fetal lung as much as tobacco does.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that fully one third of the American population is prediabetic, with elevated blood sugar (glucose) levels that can – if untreated – lead to full-blown type 2 diabetes. Diabetes, which currently affects over 30 million Americans, causes the risk of heart disease to skyrocket – and can feature serious complications such as nerve damage, kidney disease and retinal damage.
Now, a brand-new Australian study shows that vitamin C can lower elevated blood glucose in type 2 diabetics, helping to control dangerous after-meal surges and “spikes.”
The misunderstood health benefits of vitamin C
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a potent natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune system booster. Thankfully, a handful of forward-thinking doctors – early vitamin C pioneers such as Dr. Frederick Klenner, Linus Pauling, Dr. Mathias Rath and Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD – have long spoken out about the ability of vitamin C to treat, and even reverse, a host of serious conditions.
In the 1940s, Dr. Klenner reported curing a variety of diseases, including polio and hepatitis, with high-dose vitamin C – while in the present day, Dr. Paul Marik, Professor of Medicine of Eastern Virginia Medical School, administers a vitamin C protocol that drastically improves survival rates for patients suffering from sepsis, a life-threatening systemic infection.
But the therapeutic value of this non-toxic, inexpensive natural nutrient has been consistently downplayed by the medical powers-that-be. Time and again, the mainstream medical community seems to have greeted even the most impressive vitamin C studies with indifference, suspicion and even scorn.
Fortunately, well-designed scientific studies on vitamin C’s benefit are accumulating – as manifested by this latest study, conducted by an international team of researchers and published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
Study: Vitamin C can reduce blood sugar spikes by a substantial 36 percent
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in 2019 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, adult participants with type 2 diabetes were randomly divided into two groups. One group took 1,000 mg of ascorbic acid in divided doses every day for four months, while the other group received a placebo.
Participants were given standardized meals, and their glucose levels were monitored continuously for 48 hours. The results were clear-cut.
The vitamin C group experienced significantly lower after-meal blood sugar levels – reducing by roughly three hours the time spent every day in hyperglycemia – a state of elevated blood glucose.
Why is this important?
Research has shown that blood sugar “spikes” damage cells in multiple ways, and are linked to heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, peripheral neuropathy, kidney failure, cognitive dysfunction and retinal damage.
Clearly, the less time spent in hyperglycemia – the better. However, better glucose control wasn’t the only benefit for the participants in the vitamin C group.
The ascorbic acid also lowered elevated blood pressure – a primary risk factor for heart disease.
The team reported that participants’ blood pressure readings dropped by an average of 7 mmHg in the systolic number (which measures the pressure exerted by heartbeats) and by 5 mmHg in the diastolic (which measures the pressure in between beats).
Incidentally, the vitamin C group also experienced a significant lessening of disease-promoting oxidative stress. The researchers concluded that the study provided evidence for use of vitamin C as an adjunct therapy to improve control of blood sugar and blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes.
Vitamin C drastically lowers the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
People with type 2 diabetes suffer from increased risk of heart disease – in fact, the Cleveland Clinic reports that 75 to 85 percent of patients with diabetes die from heart attack or stroke.
This makes the findings of recent studies on vitamin C and heart disease particularly significant. In one study, which was published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers evaluated the daily vitamin C intake of 108 men.
They found that men in the group with the highest levels of vitamin C intake had a 66 percent less chance of developing coronary heart disease – the number one killer in the United States – than men in the lowest-intake group. In other words, men who consumed higher levels of vitamin C were two-thirds more likely to avoid developing heart disease.
Researchers believe that this beneficial effect is due to vitamin C’s ability to prevent and alleviate endothelial dysfunction – the stiffening of arterial walls that interferes with the healthy flow of oxygen-rich blood.
And, in a 2003 observational study conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 85,000 female nurses were followed for 16 years.
Women who took supplemental vitamin C reduced their risk of heart disease by a hefty 28 percent.
Alert: Vitamin C also improves post-heart attack prognosis
Vitamin C can help reduce the damage to heart tissue from ischemia-reperfusion injury (a type of post-heart attack damage in which blood previously cut off by the attack suddenly floods back into the area).
Researchers credit vitamin C with improving electrical conduction throughout the heart muscle, reducing inflammation and decreasing clotting factors – which contribute to stroke risk. Vitamin C also appears to help protect against two other heart problems: atrial fibrillation – a type of irregular heartbeat – and dilated cardiomyopathy, a harmful enlargement and weakening of the heart.
How much vitamin C do I need a day?
According to natural health experts, the current vitamin C RDAs advised by the Office of Dietary Supplements are good for a laugh – and not much else.
Vitamin C proponents note that the ODS recommendations – a paltry 75 to 90 mg of vitamin C a day – are enough to prevent the severe form of vitamin C deficiency known as scurvy, but not enough to maintain optimal health or combat disease.
Knowledgeable integrative and functional doctors usually advise taking anywhere from 1,000 to 6,000 mg of vitamin C a day, in divided doses – with even higher levels recommended for serious chronic conditions.
Naturally, you should consult with your own physician before supplementing with vitamin C. And, of course, do not stop or reduce prescribed blood sugar-lowering medications – unless specifically advised to do so by your doctor.
Health tip: various fiber-rich foods and nutritional supplements – including citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables, oat bran and psyllium husks – can also help to promote healthy glycemic control.
As the studies suggest, daily supplementation with inexpensive, non-toxic vitamin C can provide major protective dividends to the heart – while helping to regulate blood sugar levels. Clearly, having optimal levels of this essential micronutrient is a “win/win” scenario.
Sepsis, a body-wide bacterial infection, is a dangerous condition that can rapidly progress to septic shock and organ failure. With a mortality rate approaching 60 percent, sepsis is currently one of the leading causes of death in critically ill patients in the United States. Now, a new study published in the highly-respected Journal of the American Medical Association has revealed that high-dosage vitamin C can greatly improve the chances of survival of sepsis patients.
Natural health experts have long insisted that vitamin C can help combat a variety of serious conditions, including heart disease and cancer. To learn what the latest study shows about this amazing nutrient’s effects on sepsis, keep reading.
Bombshell finding: High-dose vitamin C can offer lifesaving effects
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 167 participants in seven intensive care units, patients with sepsis and respiratory distress syndrome were given just 50 mg/ kg of vitamin C – every 6 hours – intravenously for 96 hours.
The researchers evaluated organ dysfunction, inflammation and vascular injury in an attempt to find out if vitamin C was a more effective therapy for organ failure than the current standard of care for sepsis. And, this study was published in JAMA in October – yielded intriguing results.
On the one hand, the team found that the vitamin C treatment, after 96 hours, did not significantly reduce markers of inflammation or organ failure (in this particular study, at least). But it had an even more important effect – it seemed to increase the odds of survival.
In other words, when sepsis patients were given vitamin C, fewer died.
Study: Vitamin C benefits to sepsis patients include lower risk of mortality – and fewer days in the hospital
Researchers found, at the 28-day mark, that 25 of the 84 vitamin C patients died, compared to 38 of the 82 patients on placebo. In other words: nearly half of the placebo group died, while only one-third of the vitamin C patients succumbed.
The vitamin C group also averaged two and a half days less of ventilator use, and spent less time in the intensive care unit. In fact, 25 percent of the vitamin C-treated group made it out of the ICU in a week – while in placebo patients, the average was only 10.2 percent.
The study’s lead researcher, Alpha A. Fowler III, MD, declared that vitamin C therapy could potentially transform the way doctors care for sepsis patients. Dr. Fowler called for more study to further explore the effects of vitamin C on sepsis.
Of course, no discussion of vitamin C and sepsis would be complete without mention of the groundbreaking work of Dr. Paul E. Marik, whose revolutionary sepsis protocol includes – (wait for it!), vitamin C.
Vitamin C-based protocol drastically improves patient survival in additional studies
Dr. Marik, a physician at Eastern Virginia Medical School, treats sepsis with a “cocktail” consisting of vitamin C, vitamin B1 (or thiamine) and hydrocortisone. In a retrospective study published in Chest and involving 47 patients, Dr. Marik reported that 8.5 percent of the vitamin C-treated patients died, as opposed to 40.4 percent of the control patients – a near-miraculous result.
A powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, vitamin C is uniquely positioned to address the oxidative damage and inflammation that are characteristic of sepsis and septic shock. However, high dosages of vitamin C are required, because the very act of being ill drastically diminishes levels in the body.
Dr. Michael H. Hooper, MD, a colleague of Dr. Marik’s, notes that sepsis patients are “remarkably deficient” in vitamin C – and points to the importance of raising levels not only in the blood plasma, but in the vital organs as well. Increasingly, other scientists are confirming the therapeutic effects of vitamin C.
In a recent review published in Current Opinion in Anesthesiology, the authors report that there is an “abundance of plausible data” for the protective effects of vitamin C against “damaging oxidative stress and organ dysfunction in sepsis and septic shock.”
With several clinical trials on vitamin C and sepsis currently underway, additional findings will soon be forthcoming.
The value of high-dose vitamin C therapy goes largely unacknowledged by Western medicine
Of course, no surprise, conventional medicine has been slow to embrace vitamin C therapy – with many practitioners believing that the research is “insufficient” to justify changes in clinical practice. Skeptics point to the small study sizes in the research on sepsis and vitamin C, and the fact that – in Dr. Marik’s protocol, three simultaneous interventions are used.
Some physicians maintain that high dosages of vitamin C can cause kidney failure – although advocates of the treatment, including Dr. Hooper, insist there is “ample” evidence showing that vitamin C is perfectly safe.
Food for thought: How many more lives could vitamin C be saving?
Currently, Western medicine treats sepsis with intravenous fluids, antibiotics and vasopressor drugs. To be clear, no proponent of high-dose vitamin C is urging that the treatment replace existing medical therapy – but, that it should be offered in conjunction.
Certainly, people should not be denied the chance to benefit from this non-toxic and inexpensive option, especially when faced with a life-threatening medical crisis such as sepsis.
Bottom line: If you have a loved one dying of sepsis in an intensive care unit, insist that Dr. Marik’s protocol be immediately initiated. And, if you are denied this option, make sure the physician understands that you will undertake legal action.
As Dr. Fowler recently stated, “We may have found a lifesaving therapy.” And, patients who survived sepsis – after being given the vitamin C protocol – would certainly agree.
Frederick R. Klenner, MD – who used high-dose vitamin C to treat such serious conditions as polio and viral pneumonia – called it “the safest and most valuable substance available to the physician.”
Nobel prize-winning researcher Linus Pauling believed that it could hold the key to treating cancer. And, a groundbreaking physician at a Virginia hospital is currently using it as part of a protocol to treat life-threatening advanced sepsis.
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that can boost the immune system and enhance the function of disease-fighting phagocytes. In addition, it is inexpensive, non-toxic, convenient and – when used in the proper dose – effective.
Yet, sadly, Western medicine tends to pay little attention to this remarkable vitamin. And, that’s a shame, as you’ll soon see why.
Early breakthrough: Vitamin C pioneer reported success treating polio and viral pneumonia
In the 1940s, Dr. Klenner, a small-town family doctor in North Carolina, claimed to have used intravenous high-dose vitamin C to cure polio in 60 out of 60 patients – with no mortalities, no paralysis and no adverse effects.
He reported that he obtained these near-miraculous results by injecting his patients with massive amounts – up to tens of thousands of milligrams a day. Dr. Klenner also used vitamin C against respiratory diseases.
In a 2007 review published in Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, the author, Andrew W. Saul, credits Dr. Klenner with successfully treating 42 cases of viral pneumonia. For over forty years, Dr. Klenner used vitamin C to treat an astonishing array of diseases and conditions – including hepatitis, chicken pox, measles, mumps, influenza, mononucleosis, diphtheria, dysentery, leukemia, snakebite and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Even though Dr. Klenner published 28 scientific papers documenting his research – and presented a summarization of his work on polio before the American Medical Association – his pronouncements were met with little interest by his colleagues.
However, his work would be carried on by other forward-thinking practitioners.
There’s a growing consensus about the therapeutic effects
Scientific research confirming vitamin C’s benefits continues to accumulate.
For example, a study published in Immune Network revealed that vitamin C led to increased production of disease-fighting interferons, causing an antiviral immune response against the H3N2 influenza (swine flu) virus.
And, in an extensive 2017 review published in Nutrients, the author noted that a total of 148 animal studies indicate that vitamin C may alleviate or prevent infections caused by bacteria and viruses. The review also cited two controlled trials showing that regularly administered high-dose vitamin C – at levels between 6 and 8 grams a day – shortens the duration of colds.
The author commented that past research in which vitamin C showed unimpressive results might be explained by the insufficient dosages used. Natural health experts have been saying this all along!
Could appropriate vitamin C supplementation mean an end to deadly heart disease?
Renowned researcher Linus Pauling believed that heart disease (along with supposed contributors to heart disease, such as oxidized cholesterol) is actually an early stage of scurvy, a severe deficiency of vitamin C.
This theory was recently confirmed by a study conducted by scientists at the Dr. Rath Research Institute and published in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Disease.
As vitamin C is not produced in the body, it must be obtained through diet or appropriate high-quality supplementation. And, shortfalls can have dire consequences.
A lack of vitamin C causes arteries to become fragile and to rupture – a problem which the body tries to repair with deposits of cholesterol. Unfortunately, this rescue attempt can backfire, with arteries becoming clogged with atherosclerotic plaque.
Dr. Mathias Rath, M.D. – a longtime research partner of Linus Pauling’s – maintains that appropriate supplementation can spur production of beneficial collagen and make arteries more flexible and less prone to breakage.
In fact, Dr. Rath has stated his hope that his Cellular Recommendations – which involve 3 grams of vitamin C a day, along with other antioxidants – could lead to the abolition of heart disease as a cause of human mortality.
Given the fact that heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the nation, this is welcome news.
Breaking NEWS: Discover a lifesaving treatment for sepsis
Sepsis, a systemic infection that can lead to multiple organ failure, features a bleak 40 percent mortality rate. But Dr. Paul Marik, of the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital intensive care unit, may be changing that. The physician has developed a protocol involving IV C, vitamin B1 (thiamine) and corticosteroids.
In a retrospective study published in Chest and involving 47 patients, Dr. Marik reported that 8.5 percent of the vitamin C-treated patients died – as opposed to 40.4 percent of the control patients – a phenomenal result!
Of course, this vitamin is not intended to supplant or replace any conventional medical treatment – but is to be used as a complementary therapy. Eighty years ago, Dr. Klenner insisted that vitamin C – in the proper amounts – could address virtually any condition. And, he said, administering it should be the first course of action.
“The patient should get large doses of vitamin C in all pathological conditions,” Dr. Klenner declared, “while the physician ponders the issue.”
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is so essential for protecting and enhancing immune function that it is often referred to as “the muscle of the immune system.” However, new research published in The Journal of Nutrition shows that it may also help people over 50 retain muscle mass.
For the graying population of the United States, this could be welcome news indeed. Experts say that people over age 50 lose up to one percent of their skeletal muscle each year, potentially leading to age-related loss of muscle mass and muscle wasting. While natural healers have long lauded vitamin C for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune system-boosting properties, the study is among the first to investigate the importance of dietary vitamin C intake for older people. So let’s take a look.
Large study highlights the ability of vitamin C to protect muscle mass
The study, which involved more than 13,000 middle- and older-aged participants between the age of 42 and 82, examined whether people eating more vitamin C had more muscle mass than other people. Maintaining muscle mass is increasingly important as we grow older – as age-related muscle wasting (known as sarcopenia) is associated with physical disability, frailty, increased likelihood of falling, type 2 diabetes, and increased mortality.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia analyzed data from the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) study, using information from a seven-day food diary to analyze dietary intake, along with bioelectrical impedance analysis to analyze muscle mass. Incidentally, the team classified blood levels under 50 umol/L (micromoles per liter) of vitamin C as “insufficient,” with levels of 50 or above categorized as “sufficient.”
The scientists found that people with the highest amount of vitamin C in their diets or blood had the greatest estimated skeletal muscle mass (compared to those with the lowest amounts), leading the team to conclude that vitamin C may be “useful for reducing age-related muscle loss.”
Scientists know that harmful free radicals can contribute to the destruction of muscle and speed age-related decline. But this is where vitamin C can come to the rescue. Study leader Professor Alisa Welch, a researcher at UAE’s Norwich Medical School, noted, “As people age, they lose skeletal muscle mass and strength. Vitamin C helps defend the cells and tissues …. from potentially harmful free radical substances.”
Because the body does not produce vitamin C, it must be obtained through diet. (Hence, its designation as an essential vitamin.) While severe deficiencies are rare in developed nations, it’s not uncommon for people to have low or “insufficient” levels of vitamin C. For example, the researchers found that nearly 60 percent of the men and 50 percent of the women in the study fell short in consuming the Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamin C, which is advised by medical authorities as 75 to 90 mg a day for adults. (Smokers are advised to consume an extra 35 mg a day).
The team pointed out that vitamin C is easily available in fruits and vegetables – as well as in supplementary form – and called improving intake “relatively straightforward.”
Vitamin C accomplishes a major “to-do” list of life-sustaining functions
When it comes to preserving health, vitamin C juggles many tasks. For example, this important micronutrient is needed for the production of collagen, which promotes healthy skin and keeps arteries flexible and supple, thereby helping to prevent narrowing of the arteries and the development of atherosclerosis. And, vitamin C is not only a powerful antioxidant in its own right but helps to regenerate other essential antioxidants in the body, including vitamin E and the “master antioxidant” glutathione.
In addition, vitamin C also improves iron absorption and boosts immune function while promoting the production of beneficial nitric oxide.
Research shows that vitamin C helps to limits the formation of carcinogens – such as nitrosamines – in the body. And, as the study shows, it helps prevent oxidative damage that may trigger the development of cancer and heart disease.
Increasing vitamin C intake can pay a wealth of health dividends
It pays to stay “topped up” on vitamin C. Epidemiological studies have suggested that high intakes of vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables are associated with a reduced risk of many well-known (unwanted) health conditions. And a review published in Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism showed that having healthy levels of vitamin C can reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of respiratory tract issues.
You can increase dietary intake of vitamin C by eating healthy amounts of citrus fruits, kiwifruits, strawberries, and broccoli. (Sweet red peppers – at 120 mg of vitamin C per cup – are the official “high-ringers”). Other good sources are raspberries, cantaloupe, Brussels sprouts, and even baked potatoes. For maximum benefit, seek out organic fare whenever possible.
Many natural health experts reject the recommendation of the National Institutes of Health (75 to 90 mg a day for adults) as far too low. Natural healers and integrative doctors typically recommend vitamin C supplementation at levels of up to 1,000 to 3,000 mg a day. And, in some cases, it may even be more – depending on your health status.
However, check first with your trusted health practitioner before adding vitamin C to your health routine.
Experts often advise a liposomal vitamin C formulation – which is better for cellular absorption and can help to avoid the uncomfortable digestive side effects associated with higher amounts in powder or tablet form. Another important point: always look for a high-quality formulation free of fillers, additives, added sugars, and gluten.
As the saying goes, “Getting old ain’t for wimps.” But, it’s good to know that vitamin C appears to be an effective, convenient, and safe substance for preserving all-important muscle mass, as we age.
A pregnant woman shops for oranges at a grocery store.
Researchers set out to see if women who smoked during pregnancy could benefit from vitamin C supplementation and what effect it might have on the respiratory health of their babies.
Two studies conducted years apart have shown both the short- and long-term benefits of vitamin C on the children of women who smoked during their pregnancies. The first study, published in 2017, randomized pregnant women for vitamin C or a placebo, then tested their babies at three and 12 months to evaluate their lung function.
The researchers state that 12 percent of American women cannot quit smoking while pregnant, resulting in more than 450,000 infants born yearly who are exposed to smoke. They continue, saying that smoking during pregnancy is the largest preventable cause of respiratory illnesses in children, which include wheezing and asthma, and that recent studies have shown that vitamin C has a protective effect on the lung function of offspring exposed to in-utero smoke in both a nonhuman primate and initial human trial.
This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that took place between 2012–2016. The women were randomized to receive 500 mg a day of vitamin C versus a placebo during pregnancy. Once the babies were born, their lung function was evaluated at three months, and lung function and the incidence of wheezing were evaluated at 12 months. The results showed significant improvements in lung function and a significant decrease in wheezing in the babies whose mothers had taken vitamin C.
The follow-up study looked at those same babies—now 5 years old—and tested them to see if the benefits of the vitamin C were still apparent.
This study, published in November 2022 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, revisited the 213 children of smokers in the original study at 5 years of age to evaluate if the effects of the vitamin C their mothers took while pregnant were still benefiting their lung function. The follow-up study took place between 2018 to 2021.
Results showed that the children of pregnant smokers who took vitamin C during pregnancy had significantly increased airway function at 5 years of age and significantly decreased instances of wheezing. The findings suggest that vitamin C supplementation for pregnant smokers may reduce the effects of smoking in pregnancy on childhood lung function and respiratory health.
The Importance of Vitamin C
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient and powerful antioxidant our bodies need to perform a number of vital functions. Vitamin C helps fight infections and is one of the best vitamins to boost the immune system and fight foreign invaders. An article published in the journal Nutrients states that vitamin C exerts many beneficial effects on the innate and adaptive immune systems and appears able to prevent and treat respiratory as well as systemic infections.
Vitamin C is also a potent antioxidant—which helps defend against free radicals that, in excess, can damage our cells, adversely alter our DNA, and accelerate aging. Inside the body, free radicals are a natural byproduct of converting food into energy; however, they can also form from external sources like exposure to cigarette smoke, X-rays, air pollution, toxic chemicals, and ultraviolet light from the sun.
There is tremendous interest in the clinical uses of vitamin C because it benefits oxidative damage—a crucial factor in the development of many diseases. Studies show that individuals with high intakes of vitamin C have a lower risk of many chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, eye diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions.
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient, meaning we cannot produce it, and our bodies do not store it, making it vital that we get enough from the foods we eat or from supplements. The best way to get vitamin C is from the foods we eat, as they are forms our bodies recognize, so eating vitamin-rich foods will help you reap the most benefits. In fact, a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that eating your veggies is a better way to get your vitamins than taking supplements. Below are some of the best food sources of vitamin C:
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adults older than 19 years of age is 90 milligrams (mg) for men and 75 mg for women. Pregnant women need 85 mg, and for lactating women, the RDA is 120 mg daily. Smoking depletes vitamin C levels in the body, and smoke increases the amount of vitamin C the body needs to repair the damage caused by free radicals (from cigarette smoke). Smokers need 35 mg more per day than nonsmokers.
Not Enough Vitamin C
Getting less than 10 mg daily of vitamin C is considered a deficiency and can cause scurvy. Scurvy was made famous by pirates and British sailors in the 18th century because they spent months or years at sea without access to fresh produce—and back then, the disease killed more sailors than storms and shipwrecks combined. Today, scurvy is less of a concern, and most people in the developed world can easily get the recommended daily amount with access to fresh fruits and vegetables and by eating a varied diet. Symptoms of scurvy include depression, fatigue, swollen and bleeding gums, loose teeth, bruising, poor wound healing, rashes, joint pain, small red or purple spots on the skin, and corkscrew hairs.
More Vitamin C
On the other end of the spectrum, some recommend taking considerably more than the RDA—up to 1,000 mg (1 gram) of vitamin C daily. Because it’s a water-soluble vitamin, it isn’t stored in the body, and any extra the body can’t use is passed through the urine. If you want to take these larger amounts of vitamin C that exceed RDA guidelines, increase gradually and track your tolerance. If you experience digestive discomfort and diarrhea, you are likely taking too much.
Final Thoughts
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that serves multiple essential functions, boosts the immune system, and protects us against numerous diseases. Many of us consider taking supplements or adding specific foods to our diet to improve our health, but the tangible benefits can be difficult to measure. The study mentioned early in this article offers a concrete example that vitamin C supplementation had very real benefits to the children of the mothers who took it, in both the short and the long term (until at least 5 years of age). So adding bell peppers to a salad, grabbing a citrus fruit on the go, and incorporating a handful of kale into the occasional smoothie can help add some vitamin C to your diet so you, too, can begin reaping the health benefits of this crucial vitamin.
Homemade roasted Brussel sprouts with salt and pepper. (AdobeStock)
For many people, Christmas dinner is not complete without a side helping of brussels sprouts. Indeed, they are Britain’s favourite Christmas dinner vegetable. But if you’re not a convert, perhaps these health benefits will convince you to give them a second chance.
Sprouts belong to the wholesome family of cruciferous or brassica vegetables, including cabbage, kale and broccoli. As with all brassica, brussels sprouts are packed with fibre, which is good for keeping the beneficial bacteria in your gut happy.
They also provide essential minerals, such as potassium and calcium, to keep your muscle and bones healthy. They are rich in vitamins K and C, supporting a healthy immune system and bones.
Pound for pound, you’ll get more vitamin C from them when eaten raw than from oranges. Cooked brussels sprouts still contain vitamin C, though – about the same pound for pound as you’d get from orange juice and raw oranges.
Sprouts and their brassica kin. (Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)
The Bitter, the Better
Most importantly, brussels sprouts are rich in a wide range of natural chemicals, such as carotenoids and polyphenols, that have been linked to good health. They are particularly abundant in sulphur-containing compounds called glucosinolates.
Think back to when you last cooked brussels sprouts, cabbage or cauliflower. Have you stopped and wondered what that pungent smell is? That is the sulphur compounds in the sprouts being broken down. They are also what gives brussels sprouts that characteristic bitter taste. So to get your fill of these beneficial chemicals, the bitter, the better.
So you may wonder why these chemicals are so special. Several scientific studies have shown that these sulphurous compounds are potent antioxidants that can promote health by preventing cell damage.
Several studies have also shown that consuming more of these glucosinolates from cruciferous vegetables, including brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale and cabbage, are associated with a reduced risk of developing a wide range of cancers. Research continues collecting more evidence of their benefits, but the best advice to keep in mind is to try to consume roughly five portions of brassica vegetables weekly and to vary the options.
The bitter sulphurous compounds are part of a brussels sprouts’ sophisticated defence system, known as the mustard oil bomb, that repels insects from biting them but attracts those insects that allow pollination.
And because plants are clever, about 200 different glucosinolates exist in brassica vegetables, and each of these vegetables has different combinations, giving them their characteristic flavour. This is why the following vegetables, which belong to the brassica family, have different tastes: broccoli, cabbage, kale, swede, wasabi, horseradish, turnip, rocket, watercress, cauliflower and mustard.
How to Cook Them
For convenience, brussels sprouts are often boiled. But if you boil them for too long, not only will they lose their nutritional value (some of the glucosinolates will be destroyed by heat and lost into the water), but it will also give sprouts an unpleasant smell and taste.
So what are the other options?
You could simply fry sprouts in a pan with some olive oil or butter and a smidgen of garlic and herbs. An alternative would be to steam them or microwave them. But make sure they keep their crunch.
Or why not try being adventurous and trying something new by having them raw, cut into small pieces, and adding sprouts to a salad?
Next time you pass along the supermarket’s fruit and vegetable section, don’t forget to give brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage a try. Brassicas like brussels sprouts are for life, not just for Christmas.
If you eat a balanced diet, it’s pretty easy to get enough. Adult women (who aren’t pregnant or breastfeeding) need 75 milligrams of vitamin C per day; men, 90 milligrams. A mere 1/2 cup of raw red bell pepper or 3/4 cup of orange juice will do it, while 1/2 cup cooked broccoli gets you at least halfway there. Your body doesn’t make or store vitamin C, so you have to eat it every day.
Who’s Falling Short?
2/10
The most likely people include those with an overall poor diet, with kidney disease who get dialysis, heavy drinkers, and smokers. You’ll need an extra 35 milligrams of vitamin C per day to help repair the damage caused by free radicals that form when you smoke. If you’re among the 7% of Americans who aren’t getting enough vitamin C, you’ll notice symptoms within 3 months.
Slow Wound Healing
3/10
When you get hurt, levels of vitamin C in your blood and tissue go down. Your body needs it to make collagen, a protein that plays a role in each stage of repairing the skin. And vitamin C helps neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that fights off infection, work well.
Bleeding Gums, Nosebleeds, Bruises
4/10
Vitamin C keeps your blood vessels healthy, and it helps your blood clot. Collagen is also essential for healthy teeth and gums. One study found that people with gum disease who ate grapefruit for 2 weeks noticed their gums didn’t bleed as much.
Weight Gain
5/10
Early research has found a link between low levels of vitamin C and higher amounts of body fat, especially belly fat. This vitamin may also play a role in how well your body burns fat for energy.
Dry, Wrinkled Skin
6/10
People who eat a healthy diet with plenty of vitamin C may have smoother, softer skin. One possible reason: Because vitamin C is an antioxidant, it can help protect your skin from free radicals. These break down oils, proteins, and even DNA.
Tired and Cranky
7/10
In a very small study, 6 of the 7 men who had low levels of vitamin C said they felt tired and irritable. That suggests a link, though other things could be playing a role. Another study of 141 office workers found that giving them vitamin C made them feel less tired within 2 hours, especially if their level was lower to start with. Then the effect lasted for the rest of the day.
Weak Immunity
8/10
Since vitamin C has several jobs related to your immune system, it shouldn’t surprise you to learn you’re more likely to get sick and may have a harder time recovering. There’s some evidence that vitamin C can help protect you from illness such as pneumonia and bladder infections. It may even lower your odds of heart disease and some types of cancer.
Vision Loss
9/10
If you have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), it may get worse faster without vitamin C and other antioxidants and certain minerals. Getting enough vitamin C from foods might help prevent cataracts, but we need more research to understand that relationship better.
Scurvy
10/10
Before the 1700s, this potentially deadly disease used to be a huge problem for sailors. Today, it’s relatively rare but possible if you get only 10 mg/day of vitamin C or less. People with scurvy also have problems such as loose teeth, cracked fingernails, joint pain, brittle bones, and corkscrew body hair. When you boost vitamin C, symptoms start getting better in a day, and usually it’s cured within 3 months.
Sepsis is a last-ditch effort by your immune system to fight an infection in your body; it can lead to multiple organ failure and death unless promptly treated
While viruses, fungi and parasites all have the ability to trigger sepsis, bacterial infections are the most common cause. The most common types of infection triggering sepsis are respiratory and urinary tract infections
Each year, an estimated 1.7 million Americans get sepsis and nearly 270,000 die as a result. The reason for its high mortality rate is because sepsis is often overlooked; many are unfamiliar with its signs and symptoms. It’s also notoriously difficult to treat
In 2017, a critical care physician announced the discovery of a simple and inexpensive way to treat sepsis using an intravenous cocktail of vitamin C and thiamine in combination with hydrocortisone
A 2019 study using vitamin C only found it lowered mortality risk in patients with severe sepsis, and reduced the number of days spent in intensive care and overall hospital stay
One of the leading causes of death in American hospitals is something many are still unfamiliar with: septicemia (sepsis or septic shock). Also known as blood poisoning among lay people, sepsis1 is a last-ditch effort by your immune system to fight an infection in your body, which can lead to multiple organ failure and death unless promptly treated. As explained by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences:2
“The body releases immune chemicals into the blood to combat the infection. Those chemicals trigger widespread inflammation, which leads to blood clots and leaky blood vessels. As a result, blood flow is impaired, and that deprives organs of nutrients and oxygen and leads to organ damage.
In severe cases, one or more organs fail. In the worst cases, blood pressure drops, the heart weakens, and the patient spirals toward septic shock. Once this happens, multiple organs — lungs, kidneys, liver — may quickly fail, and the patient can die.”
While viruses, fungi and parasites all have the ability to trigger sepsis, bacterial infections are currently the most common cause. The most common types of infection triggering sepsis are respiratory and urinary tract infections.3 That said, research4 has demonstrated the number of fungal-induced sepsis infections is on the rise.
The problem is that sepsis is often overlooked as many are unfamiliar with its signs and symptoms. It’s also notoriously difficult to treat. A successful outcome relies on early detection and rapid treatment.
Sepsis Is the Costliest Condition Treated in the US
Each year, an estimated 1 million Americans get sepsis5 — a dramatic increase from 1.1 million just 14 years ago in 20086,7 — and nearly 270,000 of them die as a result, a substantial dip from the nearly half a million that were dying every year in 2014.8,9,10 According to data11 from two hospital cohorts, 34.7% to 55.9% of American patients who died in hospitals between 2010 and 2012 had sepsis at the time of their death (depending on which inpatient population they were in).
Experts are now calling for recognition12 of sepsis as a distinct cause of death, hoping this will result in better clinical practice guidelines. They also stress the importance of awareness in the community and the emergency room. To this end, September 13 has been designated as the annual “World Sepsis Day” to raise awareness.13
Conventional treatment, which is typically focused on high doses of antibiotics that further contribute to antibiotic resistant bacteria, is also a tremendous financial burden. A U.S. government report14,15 published in 2016 found sepsis was the most expensive condition treated in the U.S., racking up $23.7 billion in health care costs each year; by 2022 that number had risen to $62 billion just for treatment and care.16
The good news is there’s an inexpensive treatment that has been shown to be very effective against sepsis. The bad news is the number of hospitals that have adopted it as standard of care is still limited.
Vitamin C Concoction — An Inexpensive Cure for Sepsis
In 2017, news emerged about a critical care physician who claimed to have discovered a simple and inexpensive way to treat sepsis using an intravenous (IV) cocktail of vitamin C and thiamine (vitamin B1) in combination with the steroid hydrocortisone.17,18
The precise protocol used was 200 mg of thiamine every 12 hours, 1,500 mg of ascorbic acid every six hours, and 50 mg of hydrocortisone every six hours.19
The doctor in question, Dr. Paul Marik, former chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in East Virginia, published a small retrospective before-after clinical study20,21,22 showing that giving septic patients this simple IV cocktail for two days reduced mortality from 40% to 8.5%.
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where Marik worked, has since made the protocol its standard of care for sepsis, and others are starting to join in. Unfortunately, many hospitals are still dragging their heels, waiting for more clinical trials to be completed.
This despite the fact that the treatment is harmless in and of itself, meaning it won’t make the patient any worse than he or she already is. A 2018 review23 of the available research presents a hypothetical model for why and how the Marik protocol actually works, discussing how each of the three components are known to impact the biological processes involved in sepsis.
As noted in that review,24 reception of the treatment has been mixed, with some critical care leaders embracing it while others aren’t using it at all. What this means is that your ability to receive this potentially life-saving treatment is dependent on the hospital where you end up.
On the upside, “Enthusiasm for this drug combination in sepsis has grown rapidly” since the release of Marik’s initial study results, and much larger studies are now underway.
One of them was the VICTAS study25 (Vitamin C, Thiamine and Steroids in Sepsis), sponsored by Emory University, which expected to have about 2,000 participants, but ended up with only 501.26 The projected completion date for this study was October 2021, but it ended early for unexplained “administrative” reasons, and concluded that the treatment didn’t “significantly increase ventilator- and vasopressor-free days within 30 days.”
However, the authors noted that the study may not have lasted long enough to detect a “clinically important difference,” so the lack of “significant” effects could be attributed to that. While I wouldn’t ordinarily include a study like this in one of my articles, I think it’s important to note that they didn’t complete it, so the presumed lack of positive results shouldn’t be used to discredit Marik’s work.
What to Do if Your Doctor Refuses to Administer This
If your doctor refuses to consider Marik’s protocol offhand, convince him or her to review the recent studies cited here that show this works.27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36 Simply look up the references in the endnotes to the previous sentence (references 24 through 33) and make copies to take to your doctor.
Alternatively, you can go to PubMed37 directly and type in “vitamin C” and “sepsis” in the search engine and you will get a list of the available research.
These articles are completely free to download. I hope you never need to access them, but if you do, you can print them and use the information to convince your medical team to use these simple life-saving strategies. If they refuse, I would strongly suggest you take control of the situation and find another doctor and/or hospital that will.
Vitamin C Alone May Lower Mortality Risk
More recently, a study38,39,40,41 led by Dr. Alpha “Berry” Fowler was published in the October 2019 issue of JAMA. The study is not reflective of the Marik protocol per se, as it only used IV vitamin C, but its results are still tantalizing.
Fowler and his team sought to investigate the effectiveness of vitamin C infusion on organ failure scores and biomarkers of inflammation and vascular injury in patients with severe sepsis and acute respiratory failure.
Curiously, while the vitamin C infusion had no detectable influence on these end points, those who received the treatment did have a higher chance of survival, and spent less time in the hospital. As reported by NPR:42
“If you read the study summary, vitamin C didn’t help the patients. But if you dig deep into the paper, you will find that the people who got the treatment were much more likely to survive … The rub comes from the way the study … was designed.”
While vitamin C alone had no impact on organ failure scores and biomarkers of inflammation, when the researchers looked at 46 secondary endpoints, they discovered the mortality rate for the treatment group actually dropped from 46% to 30%. As noted by NPR:43
“If death had been the primary endpoint of the study, this result would have been highly significant. The conclusion would strongly support the hypothesis that vitamin C is an effective treatment of sepsis.
But there’s a catch. Since Fowler and his colleagues looked at 46 secondary endpoints, it’s likely that something would randomly pop up as statistically significant. It’s as though they had 46 bites at the apple to find something meaningful …
What patients really care about, of course, is … whether they live or die. Fowler tells NPR that he now rues his decision to select an endpoint that seemed more likely to show a benefit …
Though he’s now bound by the rules of experimental design to downplay the mortality results, he personally feels a sense of success. ‘We’re all whooping and hollering because of what we found,’ he says.”
Fowler’s team also found that, on average, those who received vitamin C had by day 28 spent three fewer days in the intensive care unit than the placebo group (seven days compared to 10). By day 60, the treatment group had also spent seven fewer days in the hospital overall —15 days compared to 22.44
Vitamin C, Thiamine and Steroids Have Synergistic Effects
When asked for comment on Fowler’s study, Marik pointed out vitamin C and corticosteroids have a synergistic effect. In other words, Fowler’s study cannot really be used to judge the effectiveness of vitamin C, thiamine and steroids in combination, as it only used one of the three ingredients.
Vitamin C is well-known for its ability to prevent and treat infectious diseases on its own. Influenza,45 encephalitis and measles46 have all been successfully treated with high-dose vitamin C, and previous research has shown it effectively lowers proinflammatory cytokines and C-reactive protein.47,48,49
To investigate the mechanism of action for vitamin C in sepsis with and without steroids, Marik, in collaboration with John Catravas, Ph.D., a pharmacology researcher at Old Dominion University, and others performed a study50 in which endothelial cells from lung tissue were exposed to lipopolysaccharide — a type of endotoxin found in patients with sepsis — in the absence or presence of ascorbic acid and hydrocortisone.
Interestingly, when either vitamin C or the steroid were administered in isolation, very little improvement in endothelial barrier function occurred. When administered together, however, the infection was successfully eradicated and the cells were restored to normal.
The addition of thiamine is also important. Not only is thiamine required for metabolism of some of the metabolites of vitamin C, thiamine deficiency syndrome (beriberi) has many similarities to sepsis, and thiamine deficiency is relatively common in critically ill patients.51
Studies have also shown thiamine can be helpful for a long list of diseases and disorders, including mitochondrial disorders,52 heart failure,53 delirium,54 thyroid fatigue and Hashimoto’s (a thyroid autoimmune disorder).55 These and other health effects may help explain why thiamine works so well in conjunction with vitamin C and hydrocortisone for sepsis.
Marik told NPR that Fowler’s study does highlight two important things, though. First, that there are no side effects of vitamin C infusion in critically ill patients and, second, a lowered mortality risk. “You can argue about all the statistical nuances, but that’s what the study showed,” Marik told NPR.56
Potential Contraindication
While vitamin C and thiamine administration is incredibly safe, it may be contraindicated if you happen to be glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficient, which is a genetic disorder.57 G6PD is an enzyme your red blood cells need to maintain membrane integrity.
High-dose IV vitamin C is a strong prooxidant, and giving a prooxidant to a G6PD-deficient individual can cause their red blood cells to rupture, which could have disastrous consequences.
Fortunately, G6PC deficiency is relatively uncommon, and can be tested for. People of Mediterranean and African descent are at greater risk of being G6PC deficient. Worldwide, G6PD deficiency is thought to affect 400 million individuals, and in the U.S. an estimated 1 in 10 African-American males have it.58
Know the Signs and Symptoms of Sepsis
One of the most important steps you can take to protect your health is to recognize the symptoms of sepsis and seek immediate medical attention if you suspect it.
It is important not to make a diagnosis at home. Instead communicate your concerns with a medical professional so that proper testing and treatment can be implemented. Common signs and symptoms of sepsis include the following.59,60,61 Many of these symptoms may be confused with a bad cold or the flu. However, they tend to develop much more rapidly than you would normally expect.
A high fever with chills and shivering
Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
Rapid breathing (tachypnea)
Unusual level of sweating (diaphoresis)
Dizziness
Confusion or disorientation
Slurred speech
Diarrhea
Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
Severe muscle pain
Low urine output
Cold and clammy skin
Skin rash
Nausea and/or vomiting
The Sepsis Alliance recommends using the acronym TIME to remember some of the more common symptoms:62
T — Temperature higher or lower than normal?
I — Have you now or recently had any signs of an infection?
M — Are there any changes in mental status, such as confusion or excessive sleepiness?
E — Are you experiencing any extreme pain or illness; do you have a “feeling you may die?”
Post-Sepsis Syndrome
While some will recover fully from sepsis, for many the problems do not end at discharge from the hospital. Survivors may suffer physical, psychological and/or neurological consequences for the rest of their lives. For some survivors, their immune function can remain depressed for as long as a year after their recovery, resulting in frequently recurring infections.
The combination of symptoms is called post-sepsis syndrome and usually last between six and 18 months. Symptoms of post sepsis syndrome may include:63,64
Lethargy (excessive tiredness)
Changes in peripheral sensation
Repeated infections at the original site or a new infection
There is no specific treatment for post-sepsis syndrome, but most get better over time. The U.K. Sepsis Trust65 recommends managing individual symptoms and supporting optimal health as you’re recovering.
Not all medical professionals are aware of post-sepsis syndrome, so it may be helpful to talk about your symptoms and ask for a referral to someone who may help manage your mental, physical and emotional challenges.
How to Reduce Your Risk of Sepsis
Again, part of what makes sepsis so deadly is people typically do not suspect it, and the longer you wait to treat it, the deadlier it gets.66 If you develop an infection, stay alert to symptoms of sepsis and seek immediate medical attention if they appear. Even health care workers can miss the signs and delay treatment.
While health care workers have a responsibility to prevent infections that could potentially turn septic and to educate patients about warning signs of sepsis, you can lower your own risk by:
• Promptly treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) — UTIs are the second most common type of infection,67 and one-quarter of sepsis cases are related to UTIs.68
Conventional treatment typically involves antibiotics, but research69,70 shows that UTIs caused by E. coli — which comprise71 90% of all UTIs — can be successfully treated with D-Mannose, a naturally occurring sugar that’s closely related to glucose.
• Properly cleaning skin wounds — About 1 in 10 sepsis cases are due to skin infections, so always take the time to properly clean and care for wounds and scrapes. Wash the wound with mild soap and water to clean out dirt and debris, then cover with a sterile bandage. Diabetics should follow good foot care to avoid dangerous foot infections.
• Caring for any chronic illness affecting your risk of sepsis — Research has found illnesses that increase your risk may include chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease.72
• Avoiding nail biting — One study found 46.9% of the participants were nail biters.73 Exposure of the delicate skin underneath the nail, transferred from your mouth or acquired from the environment, increases your risk of infection.
• Avoiding infections in hospitals — When visiting a health care facility, be sure to wash your own hands, and remind doctors and nurses to wash theirs (and/or change gloves) before touching you or any equipment being used on you.
If you have to undergo a colonoscopy or other testing using a flexible medical scope, remember to call and ask how they clean their scopes and what kind of cleaning solution they use.
If the answer is glutaraldehyde (brand name Cidex), find another hospital or clinic — one that uses peracetic acid. This preliminary legwork will significantly decrease your risk of contracting an infection from a contaminated scope.
Heart disease is usually linked to issues with cholesterol, but researchers are increasingly finding that vitamin C plays an outsized role in heart health. This antioxidant nutrient, which the body uses to make connective tissue, has already gotten some buzz for its utility in cancer treatment, but its effects on the heart may be even greater.
Researchers at the Dr. Rath Research Institute of California found that a vitamin C deficiency can cause coronary heart disease. In their study, they used transgenic mice that mimic the human metabolism in two key ways: They don’t produce vitamin C internally, and they generate lipoprotein to make up for this. After feeding the mice a diet that was lacking in vitamin C, their bodies acted as expected and created their own lipoprotein to fix the vascular walls. This caused them to develop heart issues and atherosclerosis.
Crucially, they discovered that the degree and level of heart disease the mice developed was directly linked to their vitamin C intake and blood levels. Those mice who had consumed the highest amounts of vitamin C naturally produced the least lipoprotein to repair their arteries, and by extension, had the strongest hearts and fewest atherosclerotic lesions.
Therefore, the researchers believe that proper vitamin C intake could be the secret to preventing heart disease and other cardiovascular problems. That doesn’t mean that cholesterol isn’t important; maintaining healthy HDL and LDL cholesterol levels is still a powerful component of overall health, but it may not play as big of a role as once believed.
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Higher vitamin C intake linked to lower heart disease risk
This is supported by a study that was recently published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. That study looked at 108 men and divided them into three groups according to their intake of vitamin C.
They found that the men in the top tier of vitamin C intake had a 66 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to those who had the lowest intake. The researchers aren’t sure exactly how vitamin C brings about such significant benefits to heart health. They theorize that it could be related to its ability to prevent and ease the stiffening in artery walls that can block the flow of blood. In fact, they discovered that the vitamin is especially effective at doing this in people who smoke.
Further studies provide additional evidence of vitamin C’s heart benefits. For example, a study carried out by the University of Copenhagen that involved more than 100,000 people found that higher blood concentrations of vitamin C were associated with a lower risk of not only cardiovascular disease but also death. It is important to keep in mind, however, that they saw this benefit in those whose high vitamin C blood levels came from eating lots of vegetables and fruits.
Getting vitamin C from food is preferable
The researchers said that although vitamin C supplements can help raise your levels of this important nutrient, getting it from a healthy diet is far preferable. Doing so will also help you develop a long-term healthy lifestyle, which will bring many other health benefits over time.
With heart disease being the leading cause of death around the world, we are lucky to have such an affordable way to prevent it that has very few side effects. Some of the best food sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, acerola cherries, kale, broccoli, kiwis, strawberries, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers. Best of all, eating these foods will not just enhance your heart health; your immunity will also get a nice boost!
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