A recent study by the University of Otago, Christchurch, has uncovered a critical connection between low levels of vitamin C and higher body weight, shedding light on a potential issue amidst the growing global obesity problem.
The research, published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, suggests that people with more body weight require a higher intake of vitamin C than the current guidelines recommend.
Professor Anitra Carr, who leads the Nutrition in Medicine Research Group at the University of Otago, highlighted that the current vitamin C recommendations are not sufficient, particularly for people who weigh more.
These guidelines are based on a healthy 70-kilogram (154-pound) individual, with only a small allowance for variation. However, as more people exceed this weight, they may not be receiving the right amount of vitamin C to maintain good health.
In New Zealand, the World Health Organization recommends 45 milligrams of vitamin C per day—one of the lowest levels in the world. According to Professor Carr’s findings, individuals need an additional 17 to 22 milligrams of vitamin C for every 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of body weight.
This means that heavier people might need much more than the recommended amount to stay healthy.
The research was a collaboration between Otago and researchers from the Universities of Copenhagen and Aberdeen.
They analyzed data from two major sources: the 2017-2018 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which included 2,828 adults, and the 1993-1997 European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk study, which included 20,692 participants.
The results were concerning. Only about two-thirds of the people studied were meeting the “adequate” vitamin C levels by following the recommended daily allowance.
When the intake was adjusted to account for body weight, only one-third to half of the participants had enough vitamin C in their system.
One of the reasons for this deficiency may be linked to the effects of obesity on the body. Obesity can cause low-grade inflammation, which raises oxidative stress and speeds up how quickly the body uses up vitamin C.
This could explain why people with higher body weights need more vitamin C. Additionally, obesity increases the chances of developing conditions like type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, both of which are associated with lower vitamin C levels.
To address this issue, experts recommend increasing vitamin C intake through diet or supplements. According to Professor Carr, this doesn’t have to be complicated.
For someone weighing 70 to 80 kilograms (154 to 176 pounds), eating an extra apple or two, which contains about 10 milligrams of vitamin C, could help.
For those who weigh more, eating an orange with 70 milligrams of vitamin C or a kiwifruit with 100 milligrams might be even better.
For those who prefer supplements, Professor Carr advises checking the vitamin C content of multivitamins, as many contain low doses that might not meet the body’s needs.
This research adds to the growing evidence that vitamin C is vital for more than just preventing scurvy. It plays an important role in reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, and infections, and helps with wound healing and reducing feelings of fatigue and depression—conditions that are more common in people who are overweight or obese.
As obesity rates continue to rise worldwide, Professor Carr’s study calls for updated vitamin C guidelines to support the health of individuals with higher body weight.
These findings could be significant for those looking to manage their weight and overall health.
If you’re interested in improving your health, you might also want to explore studies on diets that support gut health and weight loss, or learn about small lifestyle changes that can help prevent weight gain.
For more information, the research findings can be found in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people, and early time-restricted eating could help lose weight.
For more information about weight loss, please see recent studies that Mediterranean diet can reduce belly fat much better, and Keto diet could help control body weight and blood sugar in diabetes.
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