The surprising link between vitamin C levels and brain health

Could vitamin C, alongside its well-known benefits such as strengthening the immune system, improving iron absorption and protecting against free radicals, also contribute to brain health in older age? A new study from Japan found a link between low blood levels of vitamin C and changes in brain structure and the way different regions of the brain communicate with one another. The changes involved a brain network associated with memory, attention and thinking that is also sometimes affected by diseases such as Alzheimer’s. The study found that people with lower blood levels of vitamin C tended to have smaller volumes of gray matter — the brain tissue that contains most nerve cells and plays a central role in information processing, memory and thinking. In addition, they showed weaker communication between brain regions within a network known as the default mode network (DMN).