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Medical Pearls from the Internet Medical Association


This review from 2020 updates what we know of the relationship between Vitamin C and cardiovascular disease, and concludes that we really don't know very much. Dietary recalls remain a poor way to gauge serum Vitamin C levels, so the authors propose that future research focus on fasting serum (liposomal) Vitamin C levels in order to establish a firm relationship between Vitamin C and various cardiovascular diseases.

Comment: While the authors give good advice to future researchers, their ambiguity leaves readers wanting more. Although the evidence isn't 100% clear, what does the preponderance of evidence suggest? My reading of this review concludes that Vitamin C deficiency may be a marker of multiple micronutrient deficiencies. Supplementation with Vitamin C alone thus may not be an effective strategy. My personal strategy is first, I focus on eating a well rounded, healthy diet of primarily whole foods. Then, I take a broad spectrum micronutrient supplement (e.g. a multivitamin and mineral supplement). Finally, I believe the preponderance of evidence supports additional micronutrient supplementation, and I do regularly take 250 mg to 500 mg a day of a Vitamin C supplement. However, supplementation for the most part remains unproven, and may be associated with negative side-effects. As always, a healthy diet is the foundation. The benefit of micronutrient supplementation for the most part remains of questionable benefit and may even cause harm. More research is needed!



Antioxidants (Basel) . 2020 Dec 3;9(12):E1227.    (retrieved Dec, 2020). There are currently 1090 pearls in the database. While every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, mistakes can and do occur. Use databank at your own risk. All pearls © 2024 by the Internet Medical Association. Click Here to view more medical pearls.