Vitamin C deficiency induces hypoglycemia and cognitive disorder through S-nitrosylation-mediated activation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β.

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Vitamin C (VC, l-ascorbic acid) is an essential nutrient that plays a key role in metabolism and functions as a potent antioxidant in regulating the S-nitrosylation and denitrosylation of target proteins. The precise function of VC deprivation in glucose homeostasis is still unknown. In the absence of L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidoreductase, an essential enzyme for the…

Ascorbic acid improves brachial artery vasodilation during progressive handgrip exercise in the elderly through a nitric oxide-mediated mechanism

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary The proposed mechanistic link between the age-related attenuation in vascular function and free radicals is an attractive hypothesis; however, direct evidence of free radical attenuation and a concomitant improvement in vascular function in the elderly is lacking. Therefore, this study sought to test the hypothesis that ascorbic acid (AA), administered intra-arterially during progressive handgrip…

The role of oxidative stress, antioxidants and vascular inflammation in cardiovascular disease (a review).

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary The concept of mild chronic vascular inflammation as part of the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease, most importantly hypertension and atherosclerosis, has been well accepted. Indeed there are links between vascular inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress. However, there are still gaps in our understanding regarding this matter that might be the cause behind disappointing…

Elevated oxidative stress and sensorimotor deficits but normal cognition in mice that cannot synthesize ascorbic acid.

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Oxidative stress is implicated in the cognitive deterioration associated with normal aging as well as neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. We investigated the effect of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) on oxidative stress, cognition, and motor abilities in mice null for gulono-γ-lactone oxidase (Gulo). Gulo−/− mice are unable to synthesize ascorbic acid…

Vitamin C prevents stress-induced damage on the heart caused by the death of cardiomyocytes, through down-regulation of the excessive production of catecholamine, TNF-α, and ROS production in Gulo(-/-)Vit C-Insufficient mice.

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary It is thought that vitamin C has protective roles on stress-induced heart damage and the development of cardiovascular diseases, but its precise role and mechanisms are unclear. In the present study, we investigated the specific mechanisms by which vitamin C leads to protecting the heart from stress-induced damage in the Gulo(-/-) mice which cannot…

The role of cellular micronutrient analysis, nutraceuticals, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals in the prevention and treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies are very common in the general population and may be even more common in patients with hypertension and cardiovascular disease due to genetic, environmental causes and prescription drug use. The Hypertension Institute in Nashville, TN, has evaluated micronutrient deficiencies and oxidation status, in a group of hypertensive versus normotensive patients.…

Vitamin C improves endothelial function of epicardial coronary arteries in patients with hypercholesterolaemia or essential hypertension–assessed by cold pressor testing

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Aims: There is evidence that formation of free radicals increases in patients with hypertension or hypercholesterolaemia, which may contribute to endothelial dysfunction of epicardial coronary arteries due to inactivation of the vasodilator NO. The present study was designed to test whether the abnormal constriction of epicardial coronary arteries due to sympathetic stimulation by the…

Serum vitamin C concentration was inversely associated with subsequent 20-year incidence of stroke in a Japanese rural community. The Shibata study

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Background and purpose: Epidemiological evidence suggests that vitamin C may decrease the risk of stroke. The purpose of the present study was to examine the association of serum vitamin C concentration with the subsequent incidence of stroke. Methods: In a Japanese rural community, a cohort of 880 men and 1241 women aged 40 years…

High-Dose Vitamin C Prevents Secondary Brain Damage After Stroke via Epigenetic Reprogramming of Neuroprotective Genes

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Vitamin C has recently been identified as an epigenetic regulator by activating ten-eleven translocases (TETs), enzymes involved in generating DNA hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). Currently, we investigated whether high-dose vitamin C promotes neuroprotection through epigenetic modulation of 5hmC, if there are sex-specific differences in outcome, and the therapeutic potential of vitamin C in stroke-related comorbidities in…

Ascorbate Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Increased Blood Pressure Induced by 2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl) Amino-1,4-naphthoquinone in Rats

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Quinone derivatives like 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) amino-1,4-naphthoquinone (Q7) are used as antitumor agents usually associated with adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of ascorbate on Q7-induced cardiovascular response in Wistar rats. In this study, blood pressure, vascular reactivity, and intracellular calcium fluxes were evaluated in…

Ascorbic acid supplementation improves postprandial glycaemic control and blood pressure in individuals with type 2 diabetes: Findings of a randomized cross-over trial

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Aim: The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether ascorbic acid (AA) supplementation improves postprandial glucose responses under free-living conditions in individuals with type 2 diabetes. A secondary aim was to investigate the effect of AA supplementation on blood pressure. Materials and methods: A total of 31 individuals with type 2 diabetes…

Decrease in oxidative stress through supplementation of vitamins C and E is associated with a reduction in blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Plant-derived bioflavonoids have been recognized to support arterial wall structural integrity and interfere with a variety of pro-atherosclerotic stimuli. This study examined the effect of various bioflavonoids on angiotensin II-stimulated contraction by human aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC) embedded in a three-dimensional collagen matrix. Bioflavonoid inhibition of SMC contraction was found to be dependent…

Fat Soluble vitamins affect composition of extracellular matrix deposited by human aortic smooth muscle and endothelial cells in vitro

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Vascular calcification is a pathophysiological process that is associated with coronary atherosclerosis, and is a prognostic marker of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The process of arterial wall calcification is triggered and accompanied by pro-osteogenic phenotypical modifications of resident smooth muscle cells (SMC). Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an essential nutrient required to support the…

Effects of Various Multi-Nutrient Supplements on the Production and Extracellular Deposition of Collagen I and IV by Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Chronic vitamin deficiency is an underlying cause of many modern human chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). A major pathological mechanism leading to the development of CVD is loss of vascular-wall integrity, a structural weakness that triggers the atherosclerotic process. The arterial wall is composed of the constituent cells and surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM).…

Beneficial metabolic effects of Vitamin D on arterial wall cells in vitro

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary In recent years, many studies have shown positive effects of vitamin D on health, including various benefits to inflammation and immune response, cognitive function, protection against metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Vitamin D deficiency has been closely related to the development of coronary heart disease and its mortality.Vitamin D involvement in mitigating the pathogenesis…

Effects of vitamin C supplementation on essential hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Background: Vitamin C as a supplement to treat hypertension has been proposed. However, it remains controversial whether vitamin C can improve blood pressure in patients with primary hypertension. Objectives: To analyze the effect of vitamin C (VitC) supplementation on systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension. Methods: We searched…

Effect of acute administration of vitamin C on muscle sympathetic activity, cardiac sympathovagal balance, and baroreflex sensitivity in hypertensive patients

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Background: Essential hypertension is characterized by both increased oxidative stress and sympathetic traffic. Experimental studies have shown that reactive oxygen species can modulate autonomic activity. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether acute administration of the antioxidant vitamin C modifies sympathetic nerve activity in essential hypertension. Design: Thirty-two untreated patients with…

Vitamin C Lowers Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats by Targeting Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme I Production in a Frequency-Dependent Manner

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary The lowering blood pressure effect of vitamin C (VC) has been evaluated in various models. As VC has a fast degradation rate in the body after consumption, a study of the frequency-dependent manner of VC is essential for the sustained antihypertension effect of VC. In this study, we investigated the frequency and dose dependency…

Ascorbic acid decreases the binding affinity of the AT1 receptor for angiotensin II

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Background: Ascorbic acid is an essential vitamin and a powerful antioxidant. Many studies have highlighted the benefits of ascorbic acid for chronic cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension in which angiotensin II (Ang II) plays an significant role. We therefore hypothesized that ascorbic acid could modify the pharmacological properties of the AT(1) receptor for Ang…

Effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Background: In observational studies, increased vitamin C intake, vitamin C supplementation, and higher blood concentrations of vitamin C are associated with lower blood pressure (BP). However, evidence for blood pressure-lowering effects of vitamin C in clinical trials is inconsistent. Objective: The objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials that…

Vitamin C supplementation improves blood pressure and oxidative stress after acute exercise in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary This study aimed to assess the effect of Vitamin C on blood pressure (BP), and subsequently on oxidative stress and nitric oxide (NO) release, following the low-intensity exercise in the patients. This study included 24 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) (age, 53 ± 7 years; hemoglobin A1c, 10.1% ± 0.9%) randomized into…

Vitamin C Deficiency-Induced Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary We report a case of a man in his 60s who developed pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in association with profound vitamin C deficiency. Decreased availability of endothelial nitric oxide and activation of the hypoxia-inducible family of transcription factors, both consequences of vitamin C deficiency, are believed to be mechanisms contributing to the pathogenesis of…

Effect of ascorbic acid on endothelial dysfunction of epicardial coronary arteries in chronic smokers assessed by cold pressor testing

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Background: In chronic smokers there is evidence for increased formation of oxygen-derived free radicals within the vessel wall impairing endothelial function. It has been suggested that the inactivation of endothelium-derived nitric oxide by oxygen free radicals contributes to endothelial dysfunction. Hence, we tested the hypothesis that in chronic smokers the antioxidant ascorbic acid could…

Supplementation with vitamins C and E improves arterial stiffness and endothelial function in essential hypertensive patients.

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Background: Essential hypertension is characterized by endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness, and increased oxidative stress. We evaluated the effect of short-term combined treatment with the antioxidants vitamins C and E on endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and oxidative stress in untreated essential hypertensive patients. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study design was used to assign…

Effects of ascorbic acid on ambulatory blood pressure in elderly patients with refractory hypertension

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary The increased production of reactive oxygen species plays a role in the etiology of hypertension, but the effects of antioxidants on blood pressure are controversial. However, antioxidants possibly lower blood pressure in elderly patients with hypertension, because vascular aging is also closely related to oxidative stress. Effects of chronic treatment with ascorbic acid (CAS…

Authors’ perspective: What is the optimum intake of vitamin C in humans?

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin C has traditionally been based on the prevention of the vitamin C deficiency disease, scurvy. While higher intakes of vitamin C may exert additional health benefits, the limited Phase III randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) of vitamin C supplementation have not found consistent benefit with respect to chronic…

Favorable effects of vitamin D supplementation on pregnancy outcomes in gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes

Summary Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among women with gestational diabetes. This study, executed by Iranian researchers, aimed to assess the effect of vitamin D supplementation on this diabetes type. The trial was performed with 45 pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes who did not take anti-diabetes medication. The participants were randomly assigned to…

Vitamin D associated with diabetic retinopathy

Diabetes type 1 | Diabetes type 2

Summary This study explored the association between advanced diabetes retinopathy (an eye disease caused by high sugar levels) and vitamin D. 889 participants, including patients with diabetic retinopathy and healthy participants, were involved. The results showed that patients with vitamin D deficiency had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetic retinopathy compared to healthy participants with…

Conventional anti-diabetes drugs associated with vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with type 2 diabetes

Diabetes type 2

Summary This Korean study investigated vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with type 2 diabetes using the conventional anti-diabetes drug metformin. 1111 patients with type 2 diabetes, taking metformin for at least 6 months, were included. The study showed that an increased dose of metformin was significantly associated with decreased vitamin B12 levels. Vitamin B12 deficiency…

Relationship between levels of trace elements, oxidative stress and blood sugar control in type 1 diabetes

Diabetes type 1

Summary Taiwanese research departments analyzed the level of zinc and parameters related to free radicals and oxidative stress in type 1 diabetic patients and healthy test persons. Patients with poor controlled glucose (sugar) levels were found to have significantly lower zinc levels. Additionally, levels of oxidative stress were significantly increased in diabetes patients. A significant…

Dietary factors influence the development of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson's disease

Summary American researchers reviewed several publications investigating the role of environmental factors, including dietary components, in developing Parkinson’s disease. Several of these studies identified important interactions between nutritional factors and the development of Parkinson’s disease. Thus, specific micronutrients can modulate the risk of Parkinson’s disease and, therefore, could be helpful as new therapeutic approaches. More…

Bioflavonoids Effectively Inhibit Smooth Muscle Cell-Mediated Contraction of Collagen Matrix Induced by Angiotensin II

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Introduction: Plant-derived bioflavonoids have been recognized to support arterial wall structural integrity and interfere with a variety of pro-atherosclerotic stimuli. In this study we tested the effects of bioflavonoids on the contractile activity of cultured human aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC) embedded in a three-dimensional type I collagen matrix. Methods: Collagen I solution mixed…

Vitamin B12 and homocysteine levels predict disease progression in early Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson's disease

Summary This study, conducted by American researchers, determined vitamin B12 levels in patients with early Parkinson’s disease and their association with the progression of the disease. During the study, vitamin B12 and vitamin B12 determinants like homocysteine (a risk factor for several disorders) were measured in blood collected from participants with early, untreated Parkinson’s disease.…

Antioxidant levels related to risk of gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes

Summary Increased oxidative stress levels have been shown to lead to diabetic problems. This study evaluated the potential of antioxidants to combat oxidative stress by scavenging free radicals (antioxidant capacity) in women with gestational diabetes (40 study participants) and healthy pregnant women (40 participants). Among others, dietary intake was measured using food questionnaires. The results…

Specific dietary factors reduce the risk of developing endometriosis

Endometriosis

Summary This review by the Medical University of Silesia, Poland, evaluated literature concerning the correlation of diet and the risk of developing endometriosis, a disease of the female reproductive system. The Polish researchers discovered that consuming fruits and vegetables, antioxidant vitamins, B vitamins, fish oils (omega-3 fatty acids), and dairy products rich in calcium and…

Mixture Of Natural Nutrients Reduces Collagen Matrix Contraction Driven By Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Summary Impaired arterial smooth muscle contractility plays a leading role in the development of systemic hypertension. Structural changes, such as occlusive atherosclerotic plaque formation, and functional changes, such as hormonal disturbances, play roles in pathophysiological mechanisms of altered arterial contractility. Accelerated gel contraction was accompanied by elevated secretion of MMPs into cell culture media. We…

Micronutrient supplementation improves PCOS-typical parameters

Polycystic ovary syndrome

Summary This Austrian trial evaluated whether a micronutrient preparation containing omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and co-enzyme Q10 can influence specific parameters in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, short PCOS, a disorder involving infrequent, irregular or prolonged menstrual periods. The results showed improved parameters in patients receiving the micronutrient supplement, indicating that various micronutrients benefit women…

Antioxidant preparation effective in treatment of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain

Endometriosis

Summary This Spanish trial aimed to assess the impact of an antioxidant preparation with N-acetyl cysteine and alpha lipoic acid on endometriosis-associated pelvic pain. Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow outside the uterus. 398 endometriosis patients were treated with the preparation for…

Antioxidant supplementation reduces endometriosis-related pelvic pain

Endometriosis

Summary Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow outside the uterus. This condition is associated with increased levels of oxidative stress. The present trial aimed to assess whether antioxidant supplementation can ameliorate endometriosis-associated symptoms like pelvic pain. 59 women with pelvic pain, endometriosis,…

Composition of natural compounds reduces symptoms in endometriosis patients

Endometriosis

Summary This Italian study aimed to identify natural active ingredients that could reduce various symptoms in endometriosis patients. Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow outside the uterus. For three months, the patients were treated with a micronutrient composition, including quercetin, curcumin, and…

Vitamin D deficiency associated with diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes

Diabetes type 2

Summary This study, executed by Chinese research departments, summarized the association between vitamin D and the risk of diabetic retinopathy (an eye disease caused by high glucose levels). 15 studies were included, involving 17,664 subjects. These studies showed that type 2 diabetes patients with vitamin D deficiency had a significantly increased risk of diabetic retinopathy.…

High-dose vitamin B1 supplementation essential in patients with chronic heart failure

Heart failure (cardiomyopathy)

Summary Conventional heart failure drugs lead to increased excretion of vitamin B1 (thiamine), thereby inducing thiamine deficiency and further compromising heart function. Scientists at the university hospital of Bern, Switzerland, evaluated the effect of high-dose thiamine supplementation in heart failure patients. Patients with impaired heart pumping who took conventional drugs for chronic heart failure received…

Vitamin B1 beneficially impacts blood pressure in people with high glucose levels

Diabetes type 2

Summary Researchers from the School of Public Health at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, assessed the effects of high-dose vitamin B1 (thiamine) supplementation on blood pressure and lipid and inflammation parameters in people with impaired glucose metabolism. 12 participants with high blood glucose levels received both a placebo and thiamine capsules (3 x 100 mg/day)…