Vitamin C and Cardio Health
A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has provided further evidence linking vitamin C intake to lower blood pressure.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine reviewed data from 29 randomized, controlled clinical trials that reported blood pressure results and also compared taking vitamin C intake with a placebo. They found that taking an average of 500 mg of vitamin C daily (which is about five times the recommended dose) reduced blood pressure by 3.84 mm of mercury in the short term. In those people diagnosed with high blood pressure, the drop was nearly 5 mm of mercury.
These reductions are modest when compared to blood pressure medications, which cause roughly a 10 mm drop. But they suggest a way to help lower blood pressure naturally.
Scientists hypothesize that vitamin C helps lower blood pressure because it may act as a diuretic, causing the kidneys to remove more sodium and water from the body, which helps relax the blood vessel walls.
Although the benefits provided by the supplements fell short of the drop in blood pressure achieved by medication, researchers suggested that if further research bears these results out, vitamin C supplements may turn out to be part of a strategy to lower blood pressure.
But before recommending the supplements, more research needs to be done, the researchers added.
In the meantime, add more vitamin C to your diet the natural way. Citrus fruits like oranges are a good choice, of course. Foods even richer in vitamin C include red and green chili peppers, guava, dark leafy greens, fresh herbs (thyme and parsley), broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kiwi.
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