Natural News

Vitamin C Study Stirs Controversy

LA JOLLA, Calif.—An unpublished, nonpeer-reviewed population study unveiled at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting here on March 2 has caused a tempest because its findings suggest a link between vitamin C and hardening of the arteries—the very condition the supplement is said to help prevent.

The University of Southern California researchers studied neck arteries of 573 healthy people, 147 of whom regularly took 500 mg/day vitamin C. After 18 months, vitamin C takers had artery wall growth of 30 microns, compared to 12 microns in the controls. No other variables were studied, such as diet, exercise or other supplement intake.

Responses ranged from those who say the results fly in the face of much research to the contrary, to the researchers themselves who caution more studies are needed. The AHA does not support supplements, saying they are no substitute for a balanced diet.