Vitamin C, the vitamin found in oranges and other fruits and vegetables, may be better for your health than you might realize. Researchers have found that eating foods containing vitamin C may be linked to a reduced risk for hermorrhagic stroke. That's incentive to drink your orange juice in the morning.
Vitamin C can be found in peppers, strawberries, papaya, broccoli and oranges, among other produce. It helps form an important protein used to make skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels, and is one of many antioxidants that help your body. Now, it appears that vitamin C may do a bit more than expected.
Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In fact, every year about 795,000 Americans suffer a stroke, and 130,000 die from one. This means that it's crucial to find out exactly what might help prevent stroke in the future.
In this case, the researchers examined 65 individuals who had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and compared them with 65 healthy people. After taking blood samples, the researchers found that those who had suffered a stroke had, on average, depleted levels of vitamin C. This shows how important it is to have a healthy diet.
"Our results show that vitamin C deficiency should be considered a risk factor for this severe type of stroke, as were high blood pressure, drinking alcohol and being overweight in our study," said Stephane Vannier, one of the researchers, in an interview with Medical News Today.
The findings reveal that having a diet that includes fruits and vegetables is a crucial part of staying healthy. While taking a multivitamin can help, eating right is key to living a healthier life.
