Lack of vitamin C, fruits, vegetables in diet linked to high blood pressure

Oranges and other tropical fruit are rich in vitamin C.
Photo.

A recent study out of University of California, Berkley, shows that blood pressure is lowest in young women whose blood is highest in vitamin C.

Hmmm...

My first thought is, "of course!"  When the diet is plentiful in vitamin C-rich foods, i.e. fruits and vegetables, the concentration of vitamin C in the blood is high. A diet lacking these vitamin C powerhouse foods is also lacking in other essential micronutrients. When the diet is poor, so is health.

In addition, I wondered how many people would soon run to their pharmacy to buy a supply of vitamin C supplements. It's the American way -- hide behind the pills. People rationalize, "Why take the time and effort to eat more healthful foods, when I can just take a pill?"

Dr. Gladys Block, the lead researcher for this study, realizes that Americans prefer the short cut of taking a supplement rather than making the investment in their health that requires time, effort, and money. She said of the reality of most young women's diets, "The proportion of people who are eating a good diet—not just in terms of vitamin C, but in terms of a whole range of nutrients, is actually quite low. And in this particular population—young people, many of whom are on low incomes—their diets are horrendous. Other researchers in my team have published quite shocking information about what people in this age range are eating, and it's horrible—they are drinking Coke for breakfast!"

"So I say," concludes Block, "let's be realistic about what people are actually doing, and let's get these nutrients into them, one way or another. It seems to me a perfectly prudent recommendation that everyone ought to be taking a multivitamin—they cost pennies a day."

My take on this?  I would like to see time, effort, and money dedicated to teaching Americans to eat right and to giving them the facts about the connection between diet and health. Past research has not supported multi-vitamins as a means of dodging heart disease or cancer. Teaching people to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables diet supports cardiovascular health and significantly reduces the risk for cancer.

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