Important new research has found that vitamin C can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.1 I can only hope that the government will pay more attention to this scientific finding than it has to the vitamin C anti-cancer studies.
Vitamin C’s role in preventing and treating cancer is supported by studies dating back as far as 30 years ago. But, as I revealed in my special report “Classified Cancer Answers,” the government has ignored this research.*
Instead, federal bureaucrats embraced a poorly chosen, expensive, drug-industry favorite “anti-cancer” alternative to vitamin C that I predicted would not work. This lab-created Frankenvitamin, known as synthetic beta-carotene, was even worse than I thought. In fact, it actually turned out (after tens of millions of dollars in research studies paid for by your taxes) to increase cancer in some high-risk groups.
But back to the recent findings on vitamin C’s role in cardiovascular disease…
This new research involved a review of 44 clinical studies that showed that taking more than 500 mg of vitamin C a day has beneficial effects on endothelial cell function.
Endothelial cells line the internal walls of blood vessels and are critical in helping blood pump throughout the body. Healthy blood circulation is key to preventing heart disease and strokes, as well as other conditions like diabetes, dementia, and neuropathy.
So just imagine—a simple vitamin that you can find in everything from oranges to broccoli can improve the function of the very cells that help protect you from the key diseases associated with aging.
What’s even more amazing about this research is that it shows vitamin C actually works even better in those who need it most. Scientists found that the vitamin had a stronger effect on the endothelial cells in people who already had heart problems or metabolic disorders like diabetes.
This observation is important because, as I’ve consistently warned, the results of studies on nutrients may be meaningless when researchers select participants who are not likely to benefit from that nutrient. Whether it’s because the participants are already well nourished and healthy, or they don’t actually have the disease that’s being studied.
These researchers also avoided studies using low, meaningless “recommended daily allowance” doses of vitamin C. And they also wisely only included studies that analyzed the effects of vitamin C for a long enough period of time to see results. (Many clinical trials on nutrients fail to recognize that nutrients are slower acting than drugs.)
Another interesting aspect of this study is that the researchers revealed how vitamin C works at the cellular level. It adds to the growing body of evidence showing not only that vitamins do work, but also why they work.
In light of all of this compelling evidence, isn’t it time that mainstream doctors actually learned something about vitamin supplementation for their patients?
That may be too much to hope for. But it doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from this insightful discovery. Make sure you take at least 500 mg a day of vitamin C. Your blood vessels will thank you.
Sources:
1Ashor AW, et al. Effect of vitamin C on endothelial function in health and disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Atherosclerosis, Volume 235, Issue 1, Pages 9–20, July 2014.