Vitamin C may be a valuable weapon for you to use in the fight against heart disease. Your body needs vitamin C to build and maintain healthy blood vessels and to help manage your blood pressure properly, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Both of those functions help your body fight heart disease.
Blood Vessel Dilation
People who lack enough vitamin C have a higher risk than others of suffering from atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque builds up inside their blood vessels and makes them prone to heart attacks and strokes, the University of Maryland Medical Center says. Vitamin C helps your blood vessels relax --- a process called vasodilation --- according to the Linus Pauling Institute, and can improve their ability to do so even if you've already suffered blood vessel damage from conditions such as congestive heart failure or diabetes. By helping your blood vessels remain flexible, vitamin C can slow the progression of atherosclerosis, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Blood Pressure
Vitamin C may help you keep your blood pressure under control, which is important because high blood pressure raises your risk of heart disease. The Linus Pauling Institute says that consuming 500mg of vitamin C daily for four to six weeks may lower your systolic blood pressure but cautions that you should continue to take your high blood pressure medication while increasing your vitamin C intake.
Recommended Amounts
The recommended daily amount of vitamin C is 90mg for men, 75mg for women who aren't breastfeeding and 120mg for breastfeeding women, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. Taking 500mg of vitamin C per day by mouth --- from supplements, food or both --- can reduce your risk of atherosclerosis that can lead to a heart attack, the Linus Pauling Institute says.
Sources
Increase your consumption of vitamin C by eating more fruits and vegetables, many of which contain vitamin C, and you can also take vitamin C supplements, which are readily available in stores. However, both the Linus Pauling Institute and the University of Maryland Medical Center recommend getting extra vitamin C from dietary sources if possible, since your body can best absorb and use vitamin C from food. Some foods that are rich in vitamin C include peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, strawberries, oranges, cantaloupe, kiwi and tomatoes. If you're taking vitamin C supplements, keep in mind that taking just 500mg per day can help you fight heart disease, and consult your doctor about taking more than 1,000mg of vitamin C per day.
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