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# This vitamin lowers your high blood pressure - new study
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/vitamin_c_lowers_high_blood_pressure_0410121206/
- Published: 2012-04-10T01:05:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:46:24.000Z
- Description: Pooling 29 trials, researchers found a median 500 mg a day of vitamin C for about eight weeks lowered systolic pressure by 3.84 mm Hg and diastolic by 1.48 mm Hg, with slightly larger drops in people with hypertension. The authors call for long-term trials.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Vitamins, Nutrition, Hypertension, Vitamin C, #vivvo-import

By David Liu, PHD

Tuesday April 10, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Taking vitamin C supplements for a short term reduces both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), according to a new analysis of clinical trials released most recently in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The meta-analysis led by Stephen P Juraschek of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and colleagues showed that taking as low as 500 mg per day of vitamin C for an average of eight weeks lowered SBP and DBP by 3.84 mm Hg and 1.48 mm Hg, respectively.

Among participants who had hypertension or high blood pressure, taking vitamin C reduced SBP and DBP by 4.85 mm Hg and 1.67 mm Hg, respecively.

Included in the analysis were 29 trials in which the median dose was 500 mg/day, the mediam duration of study was 8 weeks and the trial sizes ranged from 10 to 120 participants.

The researchers said in their report that observational studies indicated increased vitamin C intake, vitamin C supplementation, and higher serum vitamin C are all associated with lower blood pressure.

This meta-analysis was intended to examine the blood pressure-lowering effects of vitamin C in clinical trials. Previous trials were inconsistent.

The researchers concluded that "vitamin C supplementation reduced SBP and DBP. Long-term trials on the effects of vitamin C supplementation on BP and clinical events are needed."

Late famous chemist Dr. Linus Pauling recommended that people need to have increasing intake of vitamin C as they are getting older. People in their 50's may take 5000 mg per day. Vitamin C does not result in any side or adverse effects.

Intraveous injection of vitamin C solution has been found to protect against cancer. This vitamin may also help diabetes and heart disease among other things.

It should be pointed out that vitamin C supplements on the market may be full of fillers. Foodconsumer.org recommends that food consumers should use 100% pure vitamin C.

Foodconsumer.org early reported that IV vitamin C can prevent damage induced by cancer-causing radiation, prevent gastric cancer, lung cancer, Alzheimer's disease, leukemia, prostate cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, smoke-induced atherosclerosis, infections, diabetes, heart failure damage, heart disease, age-related cataract, gout, inhibit HIV replication, and promote wound healing.