Vitamin C supplementation and C-reactive protein levels: Findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials

AbstractBackground and purposeC-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory biomarker which prognosticates cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have reached mixed conclusions regarding the effect of vitamin C on reducing CRP or hs-CRP level. The present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to resolve these inconsistencies.Materials and methods: Related articles published up to August 2018 were searched through PubMed, Scopus, Ovid, ISI web of science, Embase, and Cochrane databases by relevant keywords. Clinical trials which examined the effect of either vitamin C supplementation or vitamin C-enriched foods on CRP and hs-CRP levels were included. A total of 11 studies with 14 data sets involving 818 subjects were included.ResultsOverall, the pooled analysis revealed that vitamin C could decrease CRP level relative to placebo group (Weighted mean difference [WMD]=−0.73 mg/L: 95% CI: −1.30 to −0.15, p=0.013) with a considerable heterogeneity (I2=98%, p<0.001). Moreover, su...