Lead researchers Katherine L. Tucker, a senior scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University and her team evaluated the bone density of 213 men and 393 women, average age 75 at the start, over a four-year period to see what association their vitamin C intake had with their bones.
After tracking their diet for vitamin C and vitamin E intake, the study evaluated the change in bone density in the hips, spine, and arm over the follow-up. Men with the highest vitamin C intake had the least bone loss in the hip but a similar finding in women was not significant, the study found.
The effect was more prominent in men at the highest level, about 314 milligrams of vitamin C daily from supplements and food. The recommended intake is 75 milligrams daily for women and 90 milligrams daily for men.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin and reduces oxidative stress, which has a negative effect on all cells in the body. It is needed for normal bone development and for the formation of collagen, the fibrous protein part of bone, cartilage, and other structures. The study is published in the Journal of Nutrition.
