Vitamin C for Microvascular Health

Article: Bleeding gums may be a sign you need more vitamin C in your diet
Source: University of Washington Dentistry, via ScienceDaily
Published: January 31, 2021

This study comes from the field of dentistry, but contains relevance to eye care in the shared assessment of microvascular health as early indications of systemic health. The authors conducted a literature review of 15 clinical trials involving 1,140 participants and data from 8,210 U.S. residents surveyed in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They found a correlation between bleeding diseases, such as bleeding in the gums and in the retina, and low levels of vitamin C in the bloodstream. Furthermore, in individuals with low vitamin C plasma levels, the researchers found that increasing daily intake of vitamin C helped to reverse the bleeding issues. This study is particularly relevant to dentistry in the sense of appropriate recommendation upon presentation of bleeding gums. Whereas the predominant recommendation is better brushing and flossing, this study calls attention to the need to consider additional causes of the bleeding, causes that could point to microvascular and systemic health concerns such as nutrient deficiency. Since the eyes and their retinal vasculature are accessible windows to systemic health, the findings of this study are helpful to eye care in calling attention to additional considerations when there is bleeding in the eye. It is a reminder to address the underlying cause of the condition, and it is a reminder of the importance of good nutrition to maintaining good health.

My rating of this study: ⭐⭐

Hujoel PP, Kato T, Hujoel IA, et al. "Bleeding tendency and ascorbic acid requirements: systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials." Nutrition Reviews.  nuaa115. 1 February 2021. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuaa115