Today, I review, link to, and excerpt from “Serum Vitamin C concentrations are inversely related to biological aging: a population-based cross-sectional study”. [PubMed Abstract] [Full-Text HTML] [Full-Text PDF] Eur J Med Res. 2025 Sep 26;30(1):864. doi: 10.1186/s40001-025-03150-w.
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Association between vitamin intake and biological aging: evidence from NHANES 2007-2018.J Nutr Health Aging. 2026 Feb;30(2):100776. doi: 10.1016/j.jnha.2026.100776. Epub 2026 Jan 14.PMID: 41539012Free PMC article.
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- Abstract
- Introduction
- Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Author contributions
- Funding
- Data availability
- Declarations
- Footnotes
- References
Abstract
Background and objective
Vitamin C (Vit C), which has antioxidant properties, may reduce oxidative stress and delay aging. However, the relationship between Vit C and biological aging is poorly established. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between serum Vit C (S-vit C) concentrations and phenotypic age acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel), an indicator of biological aging.
Methods
The present study utilized a cross-sectional design using NHANES-retrieved data from 10,118 participants aged 20–79. Weighted linear regression models alongside restricted cubic spline analysis were deployed to determine the association. A two-piecewise linear regression model and a log-likelihood ratio test were utilized to assess the potential threshold effect. Using the subgroup analyses, we explored variations in association across different subgroups while utilizing the sensitivity analyses to validate the strength of the outcomes.
Results
S-vit C concentrations were inversely related to PhenoAgeAccel. Participants in the highest quartile of S-vit C levels showed significantly reduced PhenoAgeAccel compared to those in the lowest quartile. A nonlinear relationship was identified between S-vit C levels and PhenoAgeAccel, characterized by an inflection point at 1.46 mg/dL. Beyond this threshold, further increases in S-vit C concentrations did not result in statistically significant reductions in PhenoAgeAccel. The results of subgroup analyses showcased that the inverse association was more substantial among older adults and individuals with hypertension or diabetes. The sensitivity analyses validated the strength of the outcomes.
Conclusions
S-vit C levels exhibit an inverse association with biological aging, particularly in older individuals and those with chronic conditions, highlighting the potential role of Vit C in healthy aging.
Keywords: Biological aging, Vitamin C, Phenotypic age, Oxidative stress, NHANES Introduction
Aging is characterized by a progressive decline in physiological functions, leading to increased vulnerability and higher mortality risk (1). It serves as a Major driver for numerous chronic diseases, with age-related conditions contributing to approximately 51.3% of the global disease burden (2, 3). However, the aging process is highly heterogeneous due to individual variability. Chronological age (CA) merely quantifies the passage of time and does not adequately reflect the complexity of aging. Individuals with the same CA often display varying susceptibility to diseases and age-related mortality (4). To overcome this limitation, the biological age (BA) concept has been proposed and is increasingly employed to provide a more accurate representation of the aging process on an individual level (5). Phenotypic age (PhenoAge), a quantifiable indicator of BA calculated through clinical biomarkers, blood cell parameters, and CA, has shown efficacy in identifying individuals at increased risk for various diseases and mortality (6). PhenoAge reflects the CA at which the mortality risk of an individual corresponds to the average risk within a reference population. Phenotypic age acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel) represents the disparity between PhenoAge and CA, where elevated values signify accelerated biological aging (7). Each one-year increase in PhenoAge, adjusted for CA, is associated with an approximate 9% increase in all-cause mortality. And individuals with higher PhenoAgeAccel tend to exhibit a greater burden of chronic diseases, reduced physical function, and impaired cognitive performance (6).
The process of aging involves a complex and multifactorial mechanism, wherein oxidative stress (OxS) serves as a pivotal contributing factor (8). OxS precipitates damage to intracellular proteins, lipids, and DNA, culminating in cellular dysfunction and apoptosis. The progressive accumulation of such damage is a principal catalyst of the aging phenomenon. Furthermore, OxS triggers the activation of inflammatory pathways, thereby inducing a chronic, low-grade inflammatory condition termed “inflammaging,” which further exacerbates cellular damage and accelerates aging (9, 10).
Research has shown that diets abundant in antioxidants can reduce OxS, thereby decelerating the aging process and diminishing age-related disease risks (11–14). However, these studies primarily focus on the effects of specific foods or dietary patterns on aging, and they do not provide clear evidence regarding the precise impact of individual nutrients and their concentrations in the body on the aging process. Moreover, the data obtained through dietary recall are prone to recall bias, which can affect the accuracy of the results.
Vitamin C (Vit C), a water-soluble vitamin that widely exists in vegetables and fruits, possesses diverse antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (15, 16). The consumption of Vit C is advocated to prevent and manage age-related conditions (17). Nonetheless, the relationship between Vit C and biological aging remains inadequately investigated. Accordingly, we examined the connection between serum Vit C (S-vit C) concentrations and PhenoAgeAccel in the U.S. population, utilizing the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data.
