Study: Vitamin C and Blood Pressure

BERKELEY, Calif.—Plasma vitamin C is inversely associated with blood pressure and change in blood pressure in healthy young adults according to a recent study (Nutr. J 2008;7:35) (DOI:10.1186/1475-2891-7-35). Participants were 242 black and white women aged 18 to 21 years from the Richmond, Calif., cohort of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study.

In cross-sectional analysis, plasma ascorbic acid at year 10 was inversely associated with systolic BP and diastolic BP after adjusting for race, body mass index, education and dietary intake of fat and sodium. Persons in the highest one-fourth of the plasma ascorbic acid distribution had 4.66 mmHg lower systolic BP (P=0.005) and 6.04 mmHg lower diastolic BP (P=0.0002) than those in the lowest one-fourth of the distribution. Plasma ascorbic acid was also inversely associated with change in systolic BP and diastolic BP during the previous year. While diastolic blood pressure among persons in the lowest quartile of plasma ascorbic acid increased by 5.97 mmHg from year nine to year 10, those in the highest quartile of plasma vitamin C increased by only 0.23 mmHg. A similar effect was seen for change in systolic BP (P=0.005).

Researchers concluded, since lower BP in young adulthood may lead to lower BP and decreased incidence of age-associated vascular events in older adults, further investigation of treatment effects of vitamin C on BP regulation in young adults is warranted.