What are the risks and benefits of using vitamin C for depression and anxiety?
Do Vitamin C Supplements Help with Anxiety?
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Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
“Emerging evidence suggests that higher daily intake of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables is associated with lower incidences of anxiety in adults and at the same time, greater happiness, higher life satisfaction, and greater social-emotional well-being.” So, “persuading people to consume more fruits and vegetables may not only benefit their physical health in the long-run, but also their mental well-being in the short-run.” Fruit consumption, for example, has protective association with leading killers like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, as well as depression. The question is: why?
Several different mechanisms have been proposed. For example, it may be the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of produce scavenging the free radicals that are involved in some of the inflammation associated with depression. If that’s the case, what about just taking vitamin C supplements? The brain has some of the highest levels of vitamin C in the body; so, the thought is if we take extra vitamin C, it may have some sort of therapeutic role in brain diseases, especially given that it’s not just an antioxidant, but also has other critical functions in the brain, such as helping to build neurotransmitters like dopamine. But you don’t know whether it actually helps, until you put it to the test.
One study found a beneficial effect of adding vitamin C as an adjunct treatment to an antidepressant, while another study found no benefit from vitamin C supplementation.
So, there are mixed results for vitamin C and depression. Here’s another study that found no benefit when it came to depression, but those randomized to vitamin C instead of placebo pills did show a significant decrease in anxiety level. And this wasn’t only seen in this study.
The effects of oral vitamin C supplementation on anxiety in students: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. High school students were given 500mg a day or placebo. Taking 500mg of vitamin C is about what you’d find in five oranges, four yellow kiwifruit or guavas, or one and a half yellow bell peppers. Within just two weeks, the vitamin C reduced anxiety compared to placebo, along with providing a significant drop in heart rate.
Given these data showing vitamin C may have an anxiety-reducing effect, researchers sought to find out if only a single dose could acutely affect emotional states. And indeed, within only two hours of taking some vitamin C, subjects experienced a significant drop in anxiety compared to placebo, though only among those who started out the most anxious in the first place.
As a bonus, vitamin C supplementation may lower your blood pressure a few points, but whole fruits and vegetables can do the same thing, and may even do it better for those who need it the most. As I’ve shown previously, even just adding two servings of fruits and vegetables a day can have psychological well-being benefits within only two weeks. And you won’t be put at risk of kidney stones like you would with vitamin C supplements––though that appears to be only a problem in men.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Dreher ML. Whole fruits and fruit fiber emerging health effects. Nutrients. 2018;10(12):E1833.
- Ocean N, Howley P, Ensor J. Lettuce be happy: A longitudinal UK study on the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and well-being. Soc Sci Med. 2019;222:335-45.
- Angelino D, Godos J, Ghelfi F, et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and health outcomes: an umbrella review of observational studies. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2019;70(6):652-67.
- Kocot J, Luchowska-Kocot D, Kiełczykowska M, Musik I, Kurzepa J. Does vitamin c influence neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders? Nutrients. 2017;9(7):E659.
- Ballaz SJ, Rebec GV. Neurobiology of vitamin C: Expanding the focus from antioxidant to endogenous neuromodulator. Pharmacol Res. 2019;146:104321.
- Amr M, El-Mogy A, Shams T, Vieira K, Lakhan SE. Efficacy of vitamin C as an adjunct to fluoxetine therapy in pediatric major depressive disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Nutr J. 2013;12:31.
- Sahraian A, Ghanizadeh A, Kazemeini F. Vitamin C as an adjuvant for treating major depressive disorder and suicidal behavior, a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Trials. 2015;16:94.
- Sarris J, Murphy J, Mischoulon D, et al. Adjunctive nutraceuticals for depression: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Am J Psychiatry. 2016;173(6):575-87.
- Mazloom Z, Ekramzadeh M, Hejazi N. Efficacy of supplementary vitamins C and E on anxiety, depression and stress in type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Pak J Biol Sci. 2013;16(22):1597-600.
- de Oliveira IJL, de Souza VV, Motta V, Da-Silva SL. Effects of oral vitamin c supplementation on anxiety in students: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pak J Biol Sci. 2015;18(1):11-8.
- Moritz B, Schwarzbold ML, Guarnieri R, Diaz AP, S Rodrigues AL, Dafre AL. Effects of ascorbic acid on anxiety state and affect in a non-clinical sample. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars). 2017;77(4):362-72.
- Juraschek SP, Guallar E, Appel LJ, Miller ER. Effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;95(5):1079-88.
- Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, et al. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. DASH Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med. 1997;336(16):1117-24.
- Conner TS, Brookie KL, Carr AC, Mainvil LA, Vissers MCM. Let them eat fruit! The effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on psychological well-being in young adults: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2017;12(2):e0171206.
- Jiang K, Tang K, Liu H, Xu H, Ye Z, Chen Z. Ascorbic acid supplements and kidney stones incidence among men and women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Urol J. 2019;16(2):115-20.
- Guan Y, Dai P, Wang H. Effects of vitamin C supplementation on essential hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020;99(8):e19274.
Motion graphics by Avo Media
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
“Emerging evidence suggests that higher daily intake of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables is associated with lower incidences of anxiety in adults and at the same time, greater happiness, higher life satisfaction, and greater social-emotional well-being.” So, “persuading people to consume more fruits and vegetables may not only benefit their physical health in the long-run, but also their mental well-being in the short-run.” Fruit consumption, for example, has protective association with leading killers like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, as well as depression. The question is: why?
Several different mechanisms have been proposed. For example, it may be the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of produce scavenging the free radicals that are involved in some of the inflammation associated with depression. If that’s the case, what about just taking vitamin C supplements? The brain has some of the highest levels of vitamin C in the body; so, the thought is if we take extra vitamin C, it may have some sort of therapeutic role in brain diseases, especially given that it’s not just an antioxidant, but also has other critical functions in the brain, such as helping to build neurotransmitters like dopamine. But you don’t know whether it actually helps, until you put it to the test.
One study found a beneficial effect of adding vitamin C as an adjunct treatment to an antidepressant, while another study found no benefit from vitamin C supplementation.
So, there are mixed results for vitamin C and depression. Here’s another study that found no benefit when it came to depression, but those randomized to vitamin C instead of placebo pills did show a significant decrease in anxiety level. And this wasn’t only seen in this study.
The effects of oral vitamin C supplementation on anxiety in students: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. High school students were given 500mg a day or placebo. Taking 500mg of vitamin C is about what you’d find in five oranges, four yellow kiwifruit or guavas, or one and a half yellow bell peppers. Within just two weeks, the vitamin C reduced anxiety compared to placebo, along with providing a significant drop in heart rate.
Given these data showing vitamin C may have an anxiety-reducing effect, researchers sought to find out if only a single dose could acutely affect emotional states. And indeed, within only two hours of taking some vitamin C, subjects experienced a significant drop in anxiety compared to placebo, though only among those who started out the most anxious in the first place.
As a bonus, vitamin C supplementation may lower your blood pressure a few points, but whole fruits and vegetables can do the same thing, and may even do it better for those who need it the most. As I’ve shown previously, even just adding two servings of fruits and vegetables a day can have psychological well-being benefits within only two weeks. And you won’t be put at risk of kidney stones like you would with vitamin C supplements––though that appears to be only a problem in men.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Dreher ML. Whole fruits and fruit fiber emerging health effects. Nutrients. 2018;10(12):E1833.
- Ocean N, Howley P, Ensor J. Lettuce be happy: A longitudinal UK study on the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and well-being. Soc Sci Med. 2019;222:335-45.
- Angelino D, Godos J, Ghelfi F, et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and health outcomes: an umbrella review of observational studies. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2019;70(6):652-67.
- Kocot J, Luchowska-Kocot D, Kiełczykowska M, Musik I, Kurzepa J. Does vitamin c influence neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders? Nutrients. 2017;9(7):E659.
- Ballaz SJ, Rebec GV. Neurobiology of vitamin C: Expanding the focus from antioxidant to endogenous neuromodulator. Pharmacol Res. 2019;146:104321.
- Amr M, El-Mogy A, Shams T, Vieira K, Lakhan SE. Efficacy of vitamin C as an adjunct to fluoxetine therapy in pediatric major depressive disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Nutr J. 2013;12:31.
- Sahraian A, Ghanizadeh A, Kazemeini F. Vitamin C as an adjuvant for treating major depressive disorder and suicidal behavior, a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Trials. 2015;16:94.
- Sarris J, Murphy J, Mischoulon D, et al. Adjunctive nutraceuticals for depression: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Am J Psychiatry. 2016;173(6):575-87.
- Mazloom Z, Ekramzadeh M, Hejazi N. Efficacy of supplementary vitamins C and E on anxiety, depression and stress in type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Pak J Biol Sci. 2013;16(22):1597-600.
- de Oliveira IJL, de Souza VV, Motta V, Da-Silva SL. Effects of oral vitamin c supplementation on anxiety in students: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pak J Biol Sci. 2015;18(1):11-8.
- Moritz B, Schwarzbold ML, Guarnieri R, Diaz AP, S Rodrigues AL, Dafre AL. Effects of ascorbic acid on anxiety state and affect in a non-clinical sample. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars). 2017;77(4):362-72.
- Juraschek SP, Guallar E, Appel LJ, Miller ER. Effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;95(5):1079-88.
- Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, et al. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. DASH Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med. 1997;336(16):1117-24.
- Conner TS, Brookie KL, Carr AC, Mainvil LA, Vissers MCM. Let them eat fruit! The effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on psychological well-being in young adults: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2017;12(2):e0171206.
- Jiang K, Tang K, Liu H, Xu H, Ye Z, Chen Z. Ascorbic acid supplements and kidney stones incidence among men and women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Urol J. 2019;16(2):115-20.
- Guan Y, Dai P, Wang H. Effects of vitamin C supplementation on essential hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020;99(8):e19274.
Motion graphics by Avo Media
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Do Vitamin C Supplements Help with Anxiety?
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Content URLDoctor's Note
For more on vitamin C, check out:
- Vitamin C Supplements for Terminal Cancer Patients
- Intravenous Vitamin C for Terminal Cancer Patients
- What Is the Optimal Vitamin C Intake?
- Do Vitamin C Supplements Prevent Colds but Cause Kidney Stones?
- Can Vitamin C Help with Lead Poisoning?
- Treating Bacterial Vaginosis with Vaginal Vitamin C
For more on anxiety, see:
- Fruits and Vegetables Put to the Test for Boosting Mood
- Music for Anxiety: Mozart vs. Metal
- Orange Aromatherapy for Anxiety
- Lavender for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
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