Review Finds Vitamin C to Benefit Blood Pressure Health

by | May 6, 2013 | 2012, Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Health, Vitamin C

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Meta-analysis of 15,693 hypertensive patients found that a 10 mm Hg rise in systolic blood pressure correlated with a 10% increase in all fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular complications.
High blood pressure affects an estimated 50 million Americans and 1 billion worldwide (1). The condition is especially harmful to women; those with high blood pressure have a 400% increased risk of heart disease, compared to women with normal blood pressure (2). Blood pressure costs our healthcare system an estimated $24 billion each year (3).

Now a new study (7) suggests that vitamin C may also be helpful. In the study, researchers did a literature review of studies examining vitamin C intake and blood pressure. They identified 29 studies done between 1982 and 2010 with a total of 1,407 patients between the ages of 22 and 74. Each study ranged from 10 to 120 patients supplementing an average of 500 mg per day for 8 weeks. The researchers found this average dose of 500 mg per day for 8 weeks helped decrease systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 3.84 mm Hg and the diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 2.38 mm Hg (p < 0.001). The American Heart Association lists 90-119 mm Hg as desirable for systolic blood pressure and 60-79 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure (11). Lowering blood pressure by even a couple points has a significant meaning towards overall health. A meta-analysis consisting of 15,693 patients with high blood pressure aged 60 years, found that a 10 mm Hg rise in systolic blood pressure was correlated with a 10% increase in all fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular complications. (8)

When discussing how vitamin C produces these healthy blood pressure results, the researchers pointed to research showing that vitamin C increases levels of nitric oxide that may help dilate blood vessels (8) and improve function of blood vessels in the arm (9) as well as the heart (10). They went on to conclude that the short-term studies of vitamin C supplementation “reduced systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure” but admitted that “long-term trials on the effects of vitamin C supplementation on BP and clinical events are needed.”

Source: Juraschek, Stephen P., et al. “Effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 95.5 (2012): 1079-1088.

© 2012 American Society for Nutrition

Posted May 6, 2013.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

References:

  1. Cherry DK, Woodwell DA. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2000 summary. Adv Data. 2002;328:1-32
  2. Mosca L, Manson JE, Sutherland SE, et al. Cardiovascular disease in women: a statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 1997;96:2468-248
  3. “Controlling High Blood Pressure” posted on the National Committee for Quality Assurance website.
  4. Forman JP. Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Risk of Incident Hypertension Among Young Women. Hypertension. 2008;52:828-832; published online before print October 6 2008, doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.108.117630
  5. Rousseau D. Dietary n-3 PUFAs affect the blood pressure rise and cardiac impairments in a hyperinsulinemia rat model in vivo. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2003 Sep;285(3):H1294-302
  6. Whelton, SP. Effect of dietary fiber intake on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled clinical trials. J Hypertens. 2005 Mar;23(3):475-81
  7. Juraschek SP.  Effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.  Amer Jou Clin Nutr 2012 – doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.027995
  8. Staessen JA et al. Risks of untreated and treated isolated systolic hypertension in the elderly: metaanalysis of outcome trials. The Lancet 2000; 355: 865-872.
  9. Huang A, Vita JA, Venema RC, Keaney JF Jr. Ascorbic acid enhances endothelial nitric-oxide synthase activity by increasing intracellular tetrahydrobiopterin. J Biol Chem 2000;275:17399–406
  10. Grebe M, Eisele HJ, Weissmann N, Schaefer C, Tillmanns H, Seeger W, Schulz R. Antioxidant vitamin C improves endothelial function in obstructive sleep apnea. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2006;173:897–901.
  11.  McNulty PH, Robertson BJ, Tulli MA, Hess J, Harach LA, Scott S, Sinoway LI. Effect of hyperoxia and vitamin C on coronary blood flow in patients with ischemic heart disease. J Appl Physiol 2007;102: 2040–5.
  12. American Heart Assoc, Understanding blood pressure readings, Jan 2011.