Vitamin C & Brain Function

Most of us think about vitamin C as the “immune vitamin.” Vitamin C certainly plays a vital role in immune function and several other essential body functions. New research demonstrates that vitamin C improves cognitive function.

The study involved 214 healthy young adults who had inadequate vitamin C blood levels. Participants were then given vitamin C at a dose of 500 mg twice daily for 4 weeks or a placebo. Compared to placebo, the vitamin C group had significantly improved work attention and work motivation, which improved performance on cognitive tasks that required sustained attention.

Food Sources of Vitamin C

Red pepper

Orange juice/oranges

Grapefruit

Kiwi

Green Pepper

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

While vitamin C deficiency is not common in America, suboptimal levels can impact one’s health. Some reasons why one may be low in vitamin C:

Alcohol consumption

A diet that has inadequate fruits and vegetables or restricted diets

Smokers

Type 1 diabetes

Inflammatory bowel disease

References:

Maxfield L, Crane J. Vitamin C Deficiency. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493187/. Published 2022. Accessed March 8, 2022.

Sim, M., Hong, S., Jung, S. et al. Vitamin C supplementation promotes mental vitality in healthy young adults: results from a cross-sectional analysis and a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eur J Nutr 61, 447–459 (2022).