Image via Wikipedia
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that may help to keep inflammation in check. It is found in many fruits and vegetables including peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, citrus fruits, papaya and strawberries.
A study with vitamin C included 212 people with heart failure, on average 61 years old. They were asked to keep a food diary and the researchers analyzed their intakes by computer analysis. They also took a blood test that determines levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), an indicator of inflammation in the body.
The results showed that the heart failure patients with the lowest level of vitamin C were 2.4 times more likely to have higher blood levels of hsCRP, a potential indicator of heart disease risk. Those people with low vitamin C and high hsCRP levels were nearly twice as likely to be hospitalized or die from heart failure when compared to those people who had higher levels of vitamin C and lower levels of hsCRP.
These results may indicate that vitamin C in foods may help to prevent heart disease, however, people with higher intakes of vitamin C may be healthier overall due to a healthier diet and other lifestyle factors. Interestingly, supplements once again fall short – in this case other studies have shown that adding supplements of vitamin C or other antioxidants does not improve outcomes in people who already have heart failure.
Related articles
- Low-Income Seniors More Likely To Develop Heart Failure (medicalnewstoday.com)
