People with vitamin C deficiency may be at a greater risk for bleeding in the brain, according to a recent study.
Researchers from Pontchaillou University Hospital in France found that low levels of vitamin C may trigger the most common type of hemorrhagic stroke.
"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," study author Stephane Vannier, of Pontchaillou University Hospital, said in a statement.
Although hemorrhagic strokes make up just 15 percent of all the strokes, they are deadlier compares to other types of ischemic strokes that are caused due to blocking of blood vessels, The Almagest reported.
For the study, researchers tested the vitamin C blood levels of 65 people who had experienced an intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke, as well as the vitamin C blood levels of healthy people who had not suffered a stroke.
Researchers found that 45 percent of the volunteers had normal vitamin C levels and 45 percent had depleted vitamin C levels. They found that the ones who has normal vitamin C levels were the ones who hadn't had a stroke, while the ones with low vitamin C levels were the ones who had had a stroke, the Huffington Post reported.
"Vitamin C levels were significantly lower in people who had brain bleeds, compared with healthy people, but we have not yet calculated an odds risk," Vannier said.
In addition to causing hemorrhagic strokes, vitamin C deficiency can also lead to anemia, a lowered ability of the body to fight infection and heal wounds, nosebleeds, and joint pain, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Adult men are recommended to get 90 milligrams of vitamin C per day, while adult women are recommended to get 75 milligrams of vitamin C per day, the Huffington Post reported.
Vitamin C is found in vegetables and fruits such as papaya, strawberries, oranges, broccoli and peppers.
The researchers' findings will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meet scheduled to be held between April 26 and May 3 in Philadelphia.
