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Low levels of vitamin C may increase the risk of intracerebral haemorrhage, according to a French study presented during the American Academy of Neurology’s recent meeting.

Researchers comparing levels of vitamin C in the blood of 65 people who suffered an acute intracerebral haemorrhage and 65 matched controls found that 45 per cent of stroke sufferers had low levels of vitamin C.

Another 14 per cent of stroke patients were sufficiently deficient to put them at risk of scurvy. On average, vitamin C levels were 37 per cent lower in patients (35.3mmol/L) than controls (56.2mmol/L).

“Our results show that vitamin C deficiency should be considered a risk factor for this severe type of stroke, as were high blood pressure, drinking alcohol and being overweight in our study,” said author Stéphane Vannier from Pontchaillou University Hospital in Rennes. “More research is needed to explore specifically how vitamin C may help to reduce stroke risk. For example, the vitamin may regulate blood pressure.”