A new study by Swedish researchers warns that vitamin C deficiency early in life can lead to significant impairment in brain development.
Researchers with the University of Copenhagen tested guinea pigs and found that those subjected to even moderate vitamin C deficiency had 30 percent less hippocampal neurons and noticeably worse spatial memory than guinea pigs on a normal, healthy diet.
Lead author Jens Lykkesfeldt said that like guinea pigs, humans depend on getting enough vitamin C through their diets. The findings highlight the importance of pregnant women and those nursing their babies eating a vitamin C-rich diet, Lykkesfedt and his colleagues said in a statement.
The researchers said that the brains of newborns and fetuses are more vulnerable than other tissue to even a slight lowering of vitamin C levels.
The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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