Antioxidants like vitamin C neutralize oxidative stress (free radical cell damage) and protect against inflammation and chronic disease. Now research reports that low vitamin C levels are linked to metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome, also known as Syndrome X, increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Symptoms include obesity (especially around the waist), high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, insulin resistance and elevated inflammation markers like C-reactive protein (CRP).
The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, investigated the association between vitamin C intake and metabolic syndrome. Researchers at University of Toronto, Canada analyzed the data of 979 young adults in the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health Study from 2004 to 2008. Food frequency questionnaires obtained from the participants were analyzed to determine dietary vitamin C intake. Blood samples were obtained from the participants for serum ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and CRP levels.
The researchers found that about one-third of the participants had low vitamin C levels. Participants with vitamin C intake below the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) had a 3.3 times greater risk of vitamin C deficiency. Furthermore, participants with low vitamin C levels had higher CRP levels, waist circumference, body mass index and blood pressure, compared to those with adequate levels.
“Results suggest that 1 of 7 young adults has serum ascorbic acid deficiency, in part, because of unmet recommended dietary intakes,” the study authors write. “Furthermore, serum ascorbic acid deficiency is associated with elevated markers of chronic disease in this population of young adults, which may have long-term adverse health consequences.”
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