A recent study has shown that heart failure patients who don’t consume enough vitamin C-rich foods have more inflammation and a higher risk of cardiac complications and death.

The study was presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2011 – See the AHA study.

Study Highlights:

Heart failure patients who don’t eat enough vitamin C-rich foods have higher levels of inflammation and a higher risk of cardiac complications and death.

This is the first study to demonstrate that low vitamin C intake is associated with worse outcomes in heart failure patients.

Compared with those with high vitamin C intake from food, heart failure patients in the study who had low vitamin C intake were 2.4 times more likely to have higher levels of a certain protein, which served as a marker for inflammation and a risk factor for heart disease.

Adequate intake of vitamin C was associated with longer survival in patients with heart failure, said Eun Kyeung Song, Ph.D., R.N., lead study author and assistant professor at the department of nursing, University of Ulsan in Korea.

The use of diuretics also may play a role because vitamin C is water soluble, and diuretics increase the amount of water excreted from the kidneys, according to research.

Diet is the best source of vitamin C, researchers say. Eating the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day provides an adequate amount.

Call Home Instead Senior Care in the San Francisco Bay area to help with meal preparation and medication reminders as your senior loved one recovers from a health problem – we can be reached at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.

Please call Home Instead Senior Care in the San Francisco Bay area for a free in-home care assessment at 415-333-3944 or 650-877-8009.