Vitamin C may Be ‘Just As Effective as Exercise’ for Heart Health
While you shouldn’t eschew the gym in favor of a glass of OJ, it isn’t a bad idea to indulge in some vitamin C if you can’t fit a workout into your busy day. New research has found that vitamin C can give you the similar heart-health benefits as regular exercise.
Obese adults are advised to exercise in order to protect their health, as is everyone, but even after being told that a workout might save their lives, only 50% take the advice. The research conducted at the University of Colorado Boulder found that vitamin C supplementation may protect individuals even if they don’t hit the gym.
Specifically, vitamin C supplements, which have been reported to improve vessel function, can also lower ET-1 activity. (The blood vessels of overweight and obese adults have elevated activity of the small vessel-constricting protein endothelin (ET)-1)).
The researchers found that daily supplementation of vitamin C (500 mg/day, time-released) reduced ET-1-related vessel constriction as much as walking did. The researchers found that vitamin C supplementation represents an effective lifestyle strategy for reducing ET-1-mediated vessel constriction in overweight and obese adults.
There are many foods that have even more vitamin C than an orange. They include:
- Chili Peppers
- Bell Peppers
- Broccoli
- Lemons
- Pineapple
- Kale
- Papaya
- Strawberries
- Mango
- Cauliflower
- Brussel Sprouts
