Vitamin C can lower blood pressure

February 2, 2013

There have been several studies on animals and humans showing an indirect relationship between vitamin C and high blood pressure.  In other words, the higher amount of vitamin C that was measured in plasma the lower the blood pressure.  And conversely, the lower the amount of vitamin C measured in plasma the higher the blood pressure.  

In 1999 the Lancet published a study that looked 45 patients from differing backgrounds but all with high blood pressure.  All of these patients stopped taking their high blood pressure medications as to not interfere with the study results.  The study group was given 500 milligrams of vitamin C.  After one month of supplementation blood pressure measurements were taken again.  In general, systolic pressure dropped from 155 to 142 and diastolic pressure dropped from 87 to 79!  

Other studies have shown that increased fruit and vegetable consumption (which are high in vitamin C) can lower blood pressure.  Unfortunately, many Americans do not consume enough fruits and vegetables to have an adequate supply of vitamin C.  Additionally, the high stress lifestyle that all Americans adopt and the large amounts of junk food consumed further depletes vitamin C and other nutrients critically important to maintaining proper blood pressure. 

References:

Treatment of hypertension with ascorbic acid. The Lancet. 1999 Dec;354:2048-9.

Association between plasma vitamin C concentrations and blood pressure in the European prospective investigation into cancer-Norfolk population-based study. Hypertension. 2011 Sep;58(3):372-9.  
Ascorbic acid, blood pressure, and the American diet. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002 Apr;959:180-7.