Taking daily vitamin C supplements could have similar cardiovascular benefits for overweight and obese adults as regular exercise, according to researchers.
It’s been reported that two thirds of the American population are classified as overweight or obese, and while overweight and obese adults are advised to exercise to improve their health, over 50 percent do not follow the medical advice, researchers say.
A new study conducted at the University of Colorado is now suggesting that regular doses of vitamin C supplements could have the same benefits as exercise for these adults, reports Business Standard.
Overweight and obese adults have an elevated activity of the small vessel-constricting protein known as endothelin (ET)-1 in their blood vessels. Because of this high activity of the ET -1, their vessels are more prone to becoming less responsive to blood flow demand and constricting – all of which increases the risk of developing vascular disease.
While exercise has been shown to reduce ET -1 activity, for that 50 percent of overweight and obese adults who aren’t following the advice, there might be another solution.The new study found that daily supplementation of vitamin C – at least 500mg per day – reduces the ET -1 related vessel constriction as much as exercise.
Business Standard quoted the researchers as saying that vitamin C supplementation “represents an effective lifestyle strategy for reducing ET -1 –mediated vessel constriction in overweight and obese adults”.
Vitamin C supplementation represents an effective lifestyle strategy for reducing ET-1-mediated vessel constriction in overweight and obese adults
The new research will be presented at the 14th International Conference on Endothelin: Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Therapeutics, reports Science Daily.
What do you think of the findings of this study? Is it possible that taking Vitamin C can mimic exercise, or do you think there’s no substitute for the real thing?
