If you are too lazy to wake up for your morning walk, results of a new study may cheer you up.

Researchers have found that taking Vitamin C supplements daily can have similar cardiovascular benefits as regular exercise in overweight and obese adults.

The blood vessels of overweight and obese adults have elevated activity of the small vessel-constricting protein called endothelin (ET)-1.

Because of the high ET-1 activity, these vessels are more prone to constricting, becoming less responsive to blood flow demand and increasing risk of developing vascular disease.

Exercise has been shown to reduce ET-1 activity but incorporating an exercise regimen into a daily routine can be challenging.

This study, conducted at University of Colorado, Boulder in the US, examined whether vitamin C supplements, which have been reported to improve vessel function, can also lower ET-1 activity.

The researchers found that daily supplementation of Vitamin C (500 mgday) reduced ET-1-related vessel constriction as much as walking for exercise did.

Vitamin C supplementation represents an effective lifestyle strategy for reducing ET-1-mediated vessel constriction in overweight and obese adults, the researchers wrote.

The findings were presented at the 14th International Conference on Endothelin Physiology, Pathophysiology and Therapeutics in Savannah, Georgia, US.


Source: Times of India

BDST: 1649 HRS, SEP- 06, 2015
Edited by:  Sharmina Islam, Lifestyle Editor