In life, sometimes the simplest things can be said to be the best. In the case of high blood pressure, what could be simpler than taking some vitamin C? The effectiveness of vitamin C tablets at lowering blood pressure was demonstrated in a clinical study involving human subjects with high blood pressure. The subjects took an initial dose of 2000 mg of vitamin C and then 500 mg of vitamin C per day for 30 days. Another group of subjects who took a placebo tablet acted as the control group. At 2 hours following consumption of the 2000 mg vitamin C pill, there was already a trend towards a reduction in the blood pressure of the treatment group. However by 1 month, there was a clear statistically significant lowering of the systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure. Therefore taking 500 mg of vitamin C per day as ascorbic acid may have beneficial effects on blood pressure on individuals with hypertension. An inverse correlation was present between the vitamin C levels in the blood and the fall in blood pressure.
The effects of vitamin C on mean blood pressure. An initial dose of 2000 mg of vitamin C, followed by a daily 500 mg dose of vitamin C as ascorbic acid, cause reductions in the mean blood pressure of human subject with high blood pressure. A diet high in fruits and vegetables can provide about 600 mg of vitamin C per day. This amount of vitamin C should have significant blood pressure lowering effects. Citrus fruit, berries, apples, kiwi fruit and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts are particularly rich sources of vitamin C.
This is not the first study to successfully use antioxidants as a blood pressure lowering agents. A number of compounds with antioxidant activity including dietary flavonoids, as well as foods containing high amounts of antioxidants such as berries, have been reported to lower blood pressure in otherwise healthy human subjects. The blood pressure lowering effects of antioxidants is fairly well understood. Free radicals can cause increases in blood pressure because they inhibit the generation of nitric oxide in the artery walls. Nitric oxide is required to facilitate the relaxation of arteries. Low amounts of nitric oxide caused by the presence of free radicals prevents the arteries relaxing and this raises blood pressure. Antioxidants such as vitamin C inhibit the formation of free radicals and elevate levels of nitric oxide in the arteries, restoring their normal physiological function of allowing the arteries to relax. A healthy diet high in antioxidants is therefore cardioprotective because of this blood pressure lowering effect.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
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