Blood pressure and vitamin C and fruit and vegetable intake

Background. A high vitamin C intake was recently associated with lower blood pressure levels. We examined this association and compared it with that between blood pressure and fruit and vegetable intake among German adults. Methods: Complete data were available for 1,628 women and 1,340 men, aged 18-79 years, who participated in the German Nutrition Survey, a subsample of the National Health Survey 1998. The participants completed a health and lifestyle questionnaire and underwent a medical examination and a comprehensive dietary interview. Multiple regression models were used to analyze the association between blood pressure and vitamin C and fruit and vegetable intakes. The associations were adjusted for age and body mass index and in addition for smoking among women and alcohol intake and sport activity among men. Results: Systolic blood pressure showed a significant inverse association with fruit and vegetable but not with vitamin C intake among women. If information about vitamin C and fruit and vegetable intakes was considered simultaneously, a high fruit and vegetable intake was stronger associated with lower systolic blood pressure levels as compared with a high vitamin C intake among women. Among men, we did not observe significant associations between blood pressure and vitamin C and fruit and vegetable intakes. Conclusion: The total vitamin C intake seems to be less associated with blood pressure levels as compared with the intake of fruit and vegetables among women. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel.