Vitamin C for the heart

Heart smart

Vitamin C has taken a backseat to some other headline-grabbing nutrients (like vitamin D) in recent years. But one new study is bringing some much-deserved attention back to this critical vitamin.

In this study, presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in November last year, patients with heart failure who had low vitamin C intake were 2.4 times more likely to have high levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood. CRP is a marker for inflammation and is a huge risk factor for heart disease (much more important than cholesterol levels).

In fact, those patients with lowest vitamin C levels and high CRP levels were twice as likely to die from heart problems within one year.

You get the message! The best way to get the “C” you need is from diet – melons are good sources (and are on my list of New Hamptons Health Miracle approved fruits), as are veggies like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, spinach, and onions.

If these veggies don’t thrill you, here’s a tip: Roast them, then melt some cheddar cheese over them…or sprinkle some Parmesan on top. Delicious!