Bigger brains, better memory networks — a new study out of Japan with over 2,000 older adults says vitamin C might be doing more for you than you thought. Rally shares the best vitamin C food sources, a simple supplement game plan, and five easy action steps you can start today.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Hey there, Beautiful People. Rally Preston here, 71 years old – still living the dream here in Arizona this summer. Cool day here though…only 103 degrees right now. And that’s sweater weather for us.
Oh, and we’re getting into our monsoon season – that’s where we get big booming thunderstorms, enormous dust storms, and if we’re lucky, a little rain. If we’re unlucky, well that’s a lot of rain – and then flash flooding.
So if you’re planning a little summer getaway, now you know where not to go.
Okay, moving along. Hey, got a good episode today. Very simple one – simple tips.
So today we’re talking vitamin C and your brain.
So you probably think of vitamin C as more of a cold-fighter. Or maybe a glass of orange juice with breakfast comes to mind.
But this is something new – what’s up with Vitamin C and the brain?
Well, new research just came out of Japan. Over 2,000 older adults involved with this one. And that’s a good-sized study.
So researchers looked at everyone’s blood in this new study to check their Vitamin C levels. Pretty simple test. Then what they did next was a bit odd…they scanned their brains.
And here’s what the brain scans showed:
Folks with lower vitamin C levels? Well they had less gray matter. And less gray matter means, well, a slightly smaller brain, essentially.
And their brain networks — the ones tied to memory, attention — those connections were wimpier too.
Now, just to be clear here. This study doesn’t prove Vitamin C will definitely bulk up your brain.
What this means is they found an association. Not a solid cause-and-effect for Vitamin C.
So that’s basically science-speak for… there seems to be a real pattern here that might be worth paying attention to.
But — and here’s the good part — this is one of those studies where the data points to something pretty easy we can all do that might give us healthier brains.
And this time it’s not a prescription. No fancy treatment. No unapproved peptides.
Just plain old vitamin C. Which, honestly, most of us probably aren’t getting enough of anyway…and me included.
So let’s talk food first. What are the Vitamin C-rich foods you should be eating more of to potentially see some benefits from this brain health study?
So citrus – that’s the obvious one, right? Oranges. Grapefruit. Those two are classic. And there are more exotic fruits, at least for us here in the states, and that might be guava and papaya – those are loaded with Vitamin C too.
But get this — bell peppers actually beat oranges. Especially when they ripen fully into that pretty red color. Those red ones, red peppers, have the most Vitamin C.
Okay, what else…strawberries are great too. So are kiwis. Even broccoli has Vitamin C, believe it or not.
Just add a little color to your plate for maybe better brain health. One serving. That might be all it takes to move the needle here.
So if you want Vitamin C, but fresh produce isn’t always available or it’s pretty pricey, what can you do? Or, you know, maybe you’re just not a fruit-and-veggie kind of person.
Okay, so I did some digging on Vitamin C supplements.
And yeah — a Vitamin C supplement can be a reasonable alternative. It’s a good backup plan if you can’t get enough of it in fresh produce.
Here’s what I found.
Most standard Vitamin C supplements contain ascorbic acid.
That’s the classic form of Vitamin C. It’s cheap, well-studied, works fine for most people. It can either be lab-made or naturally extracted…you wind up with the same exact thing.
Five hundred to a thousand milligrams a day is a pretty typical amount to take.
Now, some folks get a little tummy trouble with it. Especially at those higher doses.
So if that’s you, there’s a buffered Vitamin C version. Gentler on the stomach. Same benefit, less gut complaints.
Then there’s the fancy Vitamin C version. And that’s Liposomal Vitamin C.
That one’s basically wrapped in a little fat bubble. Helps your body absorb more of it.
Does it work better? Well yeah, for some people — especially at higher doses.
But it also costs a good bit more. Maybe five, 10 times more than the regular ascorbic acid stuff.
So here’s my honest take on that.
For most of us, plain old ascorbic acid should do the job just fine. Unless your stomach’s sensitive, or your doctor wants you on a higher dose. Then you might want to switch over to the Liposomal Vitamin C one.
And I should mention — it’s smart to check with your doctor before adding any supplement. Especially if you’re on blood thinners or kidney medications. Vitamin C can interact with those – so just check with your doc first.
And like I mentioned, many of us don’t get enough Vitamin C, especially if we’re not eating a balanced diet in the first place. And Vitamin C is also supposedly good for macular degeneration and cataracts too, so that might give you a little more motivation to get your daily Vitamin C quota.
Okay, okay. Let’s get to the good stuff…
We talked about this new study that shows folks who had higher levels of Vitamin C in the blood, also had bigger brains. And there might be something to that. I know we all want to do everything we can to protect our brains.
So here’s your Silver Beast Action Steps to get more Vitamin C. And these are simple ones. Everybody can do these.
Action Step One. Add one vitamin C food to your plate today. Just one. An orange. A few strawberries. Half a red pepper, sliced up. And that’s it. Start there.
Action Step Two. If fresh produce is tough to come by, no worries. Consider a basic Vitamin C supplement. Standard ascorbic acid. Maybe start around 500 milligrams a day. And nothing complicated to that.
And Action Step Three. If you’ve got a sensitive stomach, try a buffered Vitamin C instead. Same benefit, easier on the gut.
Action Step Four. Before starting any supplement, run it by your doctor. Just a quick check-in.
Action Step Five. Keep it up. This isn’t a one-time thing. You gotta make it a daily habit. Vitamin C-rich foods – or a daily supplement. And be consistent — that’s where the real payoff is.
Look, why not try this one? As long as it’s okay with your doc. Just add a little more color to your plate, or maybe a daily Vitamin C supplement. And that’s it.
Now I know that sounds almost too easy. But that’s kind of the beauty of it.
Here’s the bottom line, Silver Beasties…
Your brain’s been keeping those gears spinning around upstairs for a long, long time.
Now’s the time to return the favor. Add a little Vitamin C to your diet every day – and it just might be doing great things for your brain.
Alright, that’s it for today. Super simple. Yeah, it’s a complicated world out there now, right? At least this is simple, practically a no-brainer. Make sure you’re getting the minimum amount of Vitamin C each day. It’s good for a lot of things, and according to this new study, it might be great for your brain too.
Alright, this is Rally Preston. Thanks so much for hanging out with me today – I really do appreciate you stopping by.
So go be a beast, Silver Beasties. And I’ll see you next time, right here on the Silver Beast Podcast. Take care!