Vitamin C for Cerebral Blood Flow
Vitamin C supports endothelial function generally, with only indirect evidence for cerebral perfusion specifically.
Overview
Verdict
Vitamin C supports endothelial function generally, with only indirect evidence for cerebral perfusion specifically.
How It Works
Dosing & Protocol
Typical dose
- Recommended dose
- 500 mg daily
- Expected timeframe
- Not established
Protocol
- form
- Ascorbic acid, or buffered ascorbate if stomach upset occurs
- duration
- Acute intravenous studies measured effects within hours; oral trials ran 4-8 weeks
- co factor
- Evidence is mixed and mostly indirect. High-dose intravenous vitamin C acutely improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in people with impaired endothelial function - diabetes, smoking, hypertension, heart failure - probably by scavenging superoxide and preserving nitric oxide bioavailability. Whether this extends to cerebral perfusion is largely untested: a small number of studies have measured cerebral blood flow velocity by transcranial Doppler with mixed results, and no trial has shown improved cerebral perfusion or any cognitive consequence from oral vitamin C in healthy people.
- titration
- Not applicable; the tolerable upper intake level is 2,000 mg/day for adults
- starting dose
- Not established for this outcome. Vascular studies used 500-2,000 mg/day orally, or 2-3 g intravenously in acute experiments
Evidence
What the studies say
No studies are yet linked to both Vitamin C and Cerebral Blood Flow.
Safety
Caveats
Unlikely to help those already vitamin C replete.
Less likely to help if
Medical Disclaimer
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Individual results may vary. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.