Researchers report an association between vitamin C levels in the blood and measures of brain structure and connectivity in older adults. Drawing on data from more than 2,000 older adults in Japan, the study finds that participants with lower blood vitamin C levels tend to have less gray matter and weaker connections within a brain network involved in memory, attention, and other cognitive functions. The findings are published June 10 in the open-access journal PLOS One.
Across the sources, the key result is correlational: lower circulating vitamin C is linked with brain characteristics that are often studied in relation to cognitive aging. The study does not claim that vitamin C deficiency causes the observed brain differences. Instead, it highlights a possible biological relationship that could be explored in further research, including studies designed to test whether changing vitamin C intake affects brain health outcomes.
