|
|
> > Low Vitamin C Increases Stroke Risk
|
Low Vitamin C Increases Stroke Risk
|
June 7, 2002 -- Need another reason to juice up your morning routine? As little as a half a
glass of orange juice a day may be enough to help prevent a stroke. A new study shows
not getting enough vitamin C in your diet can increase the risk of stroke, especially
among men with high blood pressure or who are overweight.
Researchers found that men with the lowest levels of vitamin C in their blood were nearly
two and half times more likely to have a stroke than were men who had the highest levels
of vitamin C in their blood. And the risk grew if the man had high blood pressure or was
overweight.
The complete report appears in the June issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart
Association.
Although previous studies that looked at whether vitamin C protects against stroke have
not been very convincing, study author Sudhir Kurl, MD, of the Research Institute of
Public Health in Finland, says this study is different. Rather than measuring vitamin C
intake from supplements and dietary sources as in prior studies, they measured the
amount of vitamin C actually circulating in the blood in 2,419 men who were followed
for about 10 years.
"Other studies analyzed on the basis of fruit and vegetable intake, but we did our study on
the basis of [blood concentrations of] vitamin C, which we consider to be a better marker
of the availability of vitamin C in the body," says Kurl.
Researchers say vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that may work to reduce the risk of
stroke in a number of different ways. As an antioxidant, it reduces the effects of
damaging substances in the body known as free radicals, which have been linked to heart
disease, cancer, and stroke. In addition, vitamin C helps protect the arteries against
damage and lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Kurl says older adults may benefit most from the findings of this study by increasing
their daily dose of vitamin C and eating a well- balanced diet rich in fruits and
vegetables.
"Stroke is a disease of older people, and they are the ones that are suffering the most. And
many of them are not eating a well-balanced diet," says Kurl. "A minimum of a half glass
of juice [that contains vitamin C, such as orange juice] per day could contribute to this
reduction in risk."
Registered dietician Jo Ann Hattner, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association,
agrees that incorporating more vitamin C rich foods is the best way to get the most out of
this powerful vitamin.
Both Hattner and Kurl say previous studies have shown that taking vitamin C
supplements doesn't necessarily have the same protective effects as getting your daily
dose of vitamin C from fruits and vegetables.
"We like to think that vitamin C in natural sources has some special synergy and works
with other elements in the food to make it more effective in creating a line of defense,"
Hattner tells WebMD.
"The problem with the elderly is that they may not want the acidity in their diet and may
avoid orange juice," says Hattner.
Acidic foods, such as citrus fruits, can cause heartburn or acid reflux (a back-up of
stomach acids into the esophagus) in some people. But Hattner says eating or drinking
citrus products with other foods can minimize this effect.
Even squeezing some lemon or lime juice on salads or vegetables can add an extra dose
of vitamin C to your diet, suggests Hattner. Other, lesser-known sources of vitamin C that
people often overlook include strawberries, cantaloupe, papaya, broccoli, and cabbage.
E-newsgroups are a free service provided by Duke and the Doctor. Visit
http://www.dukeandthedoctor.com for Dr. McBarron's most common recommendations
or to listen to a broadcast of the show either live (9-11am eastern) or use the archive
version any time of day.
Download pdf
|
|
|
