Vitamin C Forum

Supplementation with Vitamin C May Reduce Plasma C-reactive protein

"Vitamin C treatment reduces elevated C-reactive protein," Block G, Jensen CD, et al, Free Radic Biol Med, 2008 Oct 10; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. E-mail: Gladys Block, gblock@berkeley.edu ).

Summary: In a study involving 396 healthy nonsmokers, supplementation with vitamin C (1000 mg/d) for a period of two months was found to reduce plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) - an inflammatory biomarker of cardiovascular disease risk - in subjects with elevated CRP levels at baseline (1.0 mg/L or greater). Compared to placebo, vitamin C was associated with a 25.3% reduction in CRP levels - an effect similar to that found with statin drugs.

Supplementation with 800 IU/d vitamin E was not associated with significant reductions in CRP. An additional finding of the study was that among obese subjects, 75% had elevated CRP levels (1.0 mg/L or greater). The authors state, "Research is needed to determine whether reducing this inflammatory biomarker with vitamin C could reduce diseases associated with obesity."

The results of this study suggest that supplementation with 1000 mg/d vitamin C may have significant beneficial effects on reducing risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with elevated CRP levels.