A new study from the University of California, Berkeley has linked a high intake of vitamin C to lower blood pressure in young women.
In this report, published in the Nutrition Journal, researchers monitored blood pressure and blood levels of vitamin C in 242 healthy women between the ages of 18 and 21 for ten years.
Young women with the highest blood levels of vitamin C - obtained from fruits, vegetables and supplements - had significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with the women with the lowest levels of vitamin C.
This finding held true even after researchers allowed for differences in body weight, race and dietary intake of fat and sodium.
Previous research has shown that 500 milligrams of vitamin C every day can lower high blood pressure in middle-age and older adults.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that may help lower blood pressure by aiding in proper blood vessel function.
Good food sources of vitamin C include oranges, kiwis, strawberries, cantaloupe, broccoli, red pepper and Brussels sprouts.
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