It has been established that vitamin C offers several health benefits, but apparently it can do more than that based on a new study.
The study by researchers of the University of Copenhagen and Herlev and Gentofte Hospital found that increased concentrations of vitamin C in the blood from regular fruit and vegetable consumption have been found to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and death from all causes.
According to Medical Daily, researchers wanted to prove how vitamin C can lower the risk of heart disease because some studies made the connection while others did not.
For the new study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the team gathered data from the Copenhagen General Population Study.
Since Denmark records all of its citizens' demographic information, diagnoses, access to prescription drugs, other personal information and even DNA code, the researchers were able to use precise data of 100,000 Danes for the study.
Researchers specifically looked into the subjects' DNA and fruit and vegetable consumption as reported in EurekAlert. They found that those who consume a lot of fruit and vegetables had 15% reduced risk of developing heart disease and a 20% reduction in risk of premature death, as compared with people who did not eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, said Camilla Kobylecki, a doctor and PhD student at Herlev and Gentofte Hospital.
It has long been proven that fruits and vegetables are good for the health but the latest study adds more evidence and explains the reasons.
"Eating a lot of fruit and vegetables is a natural way of increasing vitamin C blood levels, which in the long term may contribute to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and early death," confirms Børge Nordestgaard, a clinical professor at the university and a consultant at the hospital.
Vitamin C supplements are a good source of the vitamin, but Nordestgaard advised that it would be better to get the vitamin by eating healthy foods.
