Low Canadian Vitamin C Linked to Chronic Disease Risk
Lee Swanson Research Update
Almost half of Canadian adults are not getting enough vitamin C according to a recent study, which also suggests that deficiency of the vitamin could be linked to a greater risk of obesity.
Published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the study found that one in seven young Canadian adults have vitamin C deficiency and one in three has "less than optimal" levels of vitamin C. The study involved 979 Toronto-based participants between the ages of 20 and 29.
"Our research found that 47% of young Canadian adults have deficient or sub-optimal blood levels of vitamin C, which is associated with adverse health effects," said Dr. Ahmed El-Sohemy, senior researcher of the study.
The deficiency was associated with elevated markers of chronic disease and obesity, including a "significantly" higher waist circumference, body mass index, inflammation and blood pressure.
American Journal of Epidemiology 170(4):464-471, 2009