A high dietary vitamin C intake significantly reduces the risk of death from heart attacks and strokes (and other causes, including cancer) in numerous population studies.

One of the most detailed studies analyzed the vitamin C intake of 11,348 adults over 5 years. Researchers divided them into three groups: (1) less than 50 milligrams daily dietary Vitamin C intake; (2) greater than 50 milligrams daily dietary intake with no vitamin C supplementation; and (3) greater than 50 milligrams daily dietary intake plus vitamin C supplementation (estimated at milligrams or more).18 Analysis of standardized mortality ratio (SMR), a comparison to the average death rate, was up to 48 percent lower in the high vitamin C intake group versus the low intake group for cardiovascular disease and overall mortality. In practical terms, these differences correspond to an increase in longevity of 5 to 7 years for men and 1 to 3 years for women.

How does vitamin C lower the risk for cardiovascular disease? Apparently it does so by acting as an antioxidant, by strengthening the collagen structures of the arteries, lowering total cholesterol and blood pressure, raising HDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting platelet aggregation.

Oxidative damage to LDL cholesterol plays a major role in the initiation of atherosclerosis. Vitamin C is extremely effective in preventing LDL cholesterol from being oxidized, even in smokers. In addition, because vitamin C regenerates oxidized vitamin E in the body, it potentiates the antioxidant benefits of vitamin E.

Cholesterol

Dozens of observational and clinical studies show that vitamin C levels correspond to total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels.17’20″22 One of the best-designed studies indicated that the higher the vitamin C content of the blood, the lower the total cholesterol and triglycerides and the higher the HDL cholesterol. The benefits on HDL were particularly impressive. For each 0.5 milligrams per deciliter increase in vitamin C content of the blood, HDL cholesterol increased 14.9 milligrams per deciliter in women and 2.1 milligrams per deciliter in men. For every 1 percent increase in HDL cholesterol, the risk for heart disease drops 4 percent. This study and others demonstrate that the association between vitamin C and HDL levels persists even when well-nourished individuals with normal levels of vitamin C in their blood supplement their diets with additional vitamin C. However, evidence suggests that there may be a threshold for the beneficial effects of vitamin C supplementation on total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol in healthy subjects. This threshold may be as low as 215 milligrams per day for women and 345 milligrams per day in men.

Results in double-blind clinical studies examining the benefit of high dosage vitamin C supplementation (usually 1,000 milligrams) on lowering total cholesterol while raising HDL cholesterol levels are inconsistent. More recent studies show that only in subjects with low or marginal vitamin C status does high dosage supplementation produce an effect.
Blood Pressure

Population and clinical studies also show vitamin C levels inversely correlate with blood pressure; i.e., the higher the intake of vitamin C the lower the blood pressure. Several preliminary studies show a modest blood-pressure-lowering effect (e.g., a drop of 5 millimeters of mercury) of vitamin C supplementation in people with mild elevations of blood pressure.

One of the ways in which vitamin C may help keep blood pressure in the normal range is by promoting the excretion of lead. Chronic exposure to lead from environmental sources, including drinking water, is associated with high blood pressure and increased cardiovascular mortality. Areas with a soft water supply have an increased lead concentration in drinking water because of the acidity of the water, and people living in these areas may be predisposed to high blood pressure. Soft water is also, of course, low in calcium and magnesium, two minerals that protect against high blood pressure.

Author Bio: Georgiy Kharchenko American Weight Loss Group LLC: Personal Trainer, Ephedra Products, Stimerex With Ephedra, lipodrene with ephedra

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