Higher Plasma Vitamin C Indicates Lower Risk of Stroke

Data from a large, prospective epidemiologic study published in this month’s issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition supports previous findings from small-scale investigations on the link between plasma vitamin C concentrations and stroke risk. They found that individuals with high concentrations of vitamin C in the blood plasma had a 42% lower risk of having a stroke compared to those whose plasma Vit C concentrations were in the lower quartile of the study population.

The next question, of course, is how to increase the circulating Vitamin C in your blood. One way is to increase your consumption of fruit and vegetables. Previous studies (see these Medscape and Neurology articles) have shown that a diet rich in fruits and veggies has been linked to a lower risk of stroke.