Vitamin C can reduce heart diseaseA

Vitamin C can reduce heart disease

A new study claims daily vitamin C supplements could be as beneficial as walking in improving the heart health of obese people.
Scientists have found that taking the equivalent of one Berocca tablet a day can have similar cardiovascular benefits as regular exercise.
The blood vessels of people who are overweight or obese show greater activity of the small vessel-constricting protein, endothelin-1 (ET-1).
The study by scientists at the University of Colorado, US, examined whether vitamin C supplements, which have been found in the past to improve vessel function, can also lower ET-1 activity.
They analyzed 35 sedentary, overweight or obese adults over a period of three months. Twenty of the participants took daily supplements, while 15 performed daily aerobic exercise training.
The tests showed that a daily dose of vitamin C – 500mg a day – reduced ET-1 related vessel constriction as much as walking did.
Currently, the NHS recommends 40mg of vitamin C each day for adults and states that a healthy diet should provide all the vitamin C needed.
An average orange contains around 45mg of vitamin C, while a single Berocca tablet has 476mg of the nutrient.
Taking too much vitamin C – more than 1,000 mg a day – can cause stomach pain and diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
But previous medical studies have found the nutrient can help people under heavy physical stress, such as marathon runners, cut their chances of getting a cold.
The University of Colorado’s findings are being presented at the American Physiological Society's 14th International Conference on Endothelin, taking place in Savannah, US.