Vitamin C-rich diet may slash diabetes risk

Increased blood levels of vitamin C may reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 62 per cent. The new study, which appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine, followed 21,831 men and women for 12 years.

Researchers analyzed dietary patterns using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) amongst the participants of the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer - Norfolk. The men and women had an average age of 58.4 at the start of the study, and women made up two-thirds of the study population. Over 12 years of follow-up 735 incident cases of diabetes were diagnosed.

Correlating blood levels of vitamin C and diabetes, the researchers found that men and women with the highest blood levels (at least 1.10 and 1.29 mg/dL, respectively) had a 62 per cent reduction in their risk of developing type-2 diabetes, compared to men and women with the lowest blood levels (less than 0.56 and 0.77 mg/dL, respectively).

Moreover, men and women with the highest fruit and vegetable intake (459 and 550 grams per day, respectively) had a 22 per cent reduction in their risk of developing type-2 diabetes, compared to men and women with the lowest fruit and vegetable intake (289 and 382 grams per day, respectively).

Steve - what is so shocking about this study is the advanced age of the subjects. It is very unusual to see such drastic reductions in a chronic condition like Type 2 from a single nutrient. However, other variables need be factored in, such as the subjects with the highest vitamin C levels most likely keep themselves healthier by eating more fruits and vegetables.