![\"Meta-analysis](\"http:\/\/www.lifeextension.com\/images\/secondary\/art_whot_081209_story.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
On April 4, 2012, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition<\/a><\/em> published a review by researchers from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore which reports a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in associated with vitamin C supplementation.<\/p>\n For their analysis, Edgar R. Miller III and colleagues selected 29 randomized clinical trials conducted between 1996 and 2011 that involved the oral administration of vitamin C for at least two weeks. Average pre-treatment systolic blood pressure ranged from 117 to 175 mmHg, and diastolic from 73 to 97 mmHg. The dose of vitamin C used in the studies varied from 60 to 4000 milligrams per day, with a median dose of 500 milligrams daily.<\/p>\n In a pooled analysis of the trials’ participants, vitamin C supplementation was associated with a 3.84 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure and a 1.48 mmHg reduction in diastolic pressure. When trials involving patients with hypertension were analyzed, reductions averaged 4.85 mmHg and 1.67 mmHg respectively.<\/p>\n What could explain this? Mechanisms posited for vitamin C in reducing blood pressure include an increase in a cofactor for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (which increases the production of nitric oxide), and improvement of endothelial function of brachial and coronary arteries.<\/p>\n “This meta-analysis is the first quantitative review of randomized trials evaluating the effect of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure,” the authors announce. “In short-term trials, vitamin C supplementation reduced systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Long-term trials on the effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure and clinical events are needed.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Meta-analysis concludes that supplementing with vitamin C is associated with lower blood pressure On April 4, 2012, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a review by researchers from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore which reports a reduction in systolic and … Continue reading ![\"Vitamin](\"http:\/\/pilatesfitness.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Vitamin-C-supplementation.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n