Low Vitamin C Intake Ups Stroke Risk: Report
(New York, Reuters Health, 6/6/02)

In a ten-year study, Dr. Sudhir Kurl and team at the University of Kuopio in Finland measured the blood levels of Vitamin C for 2,419 men, who were between the ages of 42 and 60 at the outset. The researchers found that subjects who consumed less than average amounts of Vitamin C were more prone to overweight, high blood pressure and strokes than their peers. Dr. Kurl attributes this protective effect of Vitamin C to its antioxidant properties, which allow it to mop up free radicals, and to its role in collagen synthesis, which strengthens artery walls. He also speculates that those with higher Vitamin C levels probably have healthier lifestyles in general.