VOLUME 2008 chapter 2

Vitamin C Lowers Stroke Risk

A ten-year long European study involving 20,649 men and women has found that increased blood levels of Vitamin C reduce the risk of stroke by 42%. Phyo Myint, from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), and colleagues found that both consumption of Vitamin C-rich foods and dietary vitamin supplements were equivalent in providing stroke-reducing benefits. They found that an optimal blood level of Vitamin C was reached after study subjects ingested five servings of fruits and vegetables. Further, the team reports that “the strong inverse association between plasma Vitamin C and stroke suggests that plasma Vitamin C is likely to be a good biomarker [affecting] stroke risk.” The researchers propose that Vitamin C can be a reliable predicative risk indicator of stroke, independent of other risk factors such as age, blood pressure, smoking, cholesterol, diabetes, and body mass index.
[Myint PK, Luben RN, Welch AA, Bingham SA, Wareham NJ, Khaw KT. “Plasma vitamin C concentrations predict risk of incident stroke over 10 y in 20 649 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer Norfolk prospective population study.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jan;87(1):64-9.]

Dr. Klatz observes: Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Europe and the United States, and is a significant cause of long-term disability. This large-scale, long-term study identifies Vitamin C as both an indicator and predictor of stroke risk. Increase your daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, to consume five to ten servings a day; alternatively, select a natural-source Vitamin C with cofactors (for best absorption and utilization by the body).”

Low Vitamin D Linked to Increased Heart Disease Risk

Heart tissue is rich in Vitamin D receptors. In new analysis of data from the Framingham Offspring Study, involving 1,739 subjects over a five-year period, Thomas Wang, from Harvard Medical School, and colleagues have found that low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of heart attack, heart failure, or stroke by 62%. The researchers further found that study participants with low vitamin D levels and high blood pressure were at a 113% increased risk of a cardiovascular event, as compared to those with normal blood pressure and higher Vitamin D levels.
[Wang TJ, Pencina MJ, Booth SL, Jacques PF, Ingelsson E, Lanier K, Benjamin EJ, D'Agostino RB, Wolf M, Vasan RS. “Vitamin D Deficiency and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease.” Circulation. 2008 Jan 7; [Epub ahead of print].]

Remarks Dr. Goldman: Previously, Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to osteoporosis and certain cancers. Recently, a number of studies have shown that Vitamin D may be helpful in treating high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other aging-related infirmities. Simply by boosting Vitamin D levels, via increased consumption of foods rich in the vitamin, by supplementation, or perhaps even by a 15-minute daily exposure to sunlight, an individual may be able to significantly reduce their cardiovascular risk.”

Legumes Lower Diabetes Risk

An increased consumption of legumes, such as peanuts and soybeans, has been shown to markedly reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes (“adult onset,” also known as diabetes mellitus). Raquel Villegas, from Vanderbilt University (Tennessee, USA), and colleagues from the Shanghai Cancer Institute (China) followed 64,227 Chinese women for 4.6 years and used questionnaires to assess dietary intakes of the subjects. In those study subjects with a high intake of a variety of legumes, the researchers found a 38% reduction in diabetes risk. In particular, a high intake of soybeans was associated with a 47% risk reduction.
[Villegas R, Gao YT, Yang G, Li HL, Elasy TA, Zheng W, Shu XO. “Legume and soy food intake and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in the Shanghai Women's Health Study.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jan;87(1):162-7.]

Comments Dr. Klatz: “Type-2 diabetes is a leading cause of long-term dependence and disability. In the United States, the disease affects 7% of the population; in the EU, it affects 4%. Around the world, experts predict the numbers of cases of type-2 diabetes to rise as the global population ages. This study suggests that simple changes in our everyday dietary choices can reduce the onset of type-2 diabetes. Ask your doctor to check your HbA1c level, a long-term indicator of glucose in blood, at your next physical examination.”

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