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Vitamin C Status and Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review
Travica N, Ried K, Sali A, Scholey A, Hudson I, Pipingas A.. Nutrients, 2017-08-30
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Vitamin C plays a role in neuronal differentiation, maturation, myelin formation and modulation of the cholinergic, catecholinergic, and glutaminergic systems. This review evaluates the link between vitamin C status and cognitive performance, in both cognitively intact and impaired individuals. We searched the PUBMED, SCOPUS, SciSearch and the Cochrane Library from 1980 to January 2017, finding 50 studies, with randomised controlled trials (RCTs, n = 5), prospective ( n = 24), cross-sectional ( n = 17) and case-control ( n = 4) studies.
Key findings
- This review evaluates the link between vitamin C status and cognitive performance, in both cognitively intact and impaired individuals.
- We searched the PUBMED, SCOPUS, SciSearch and the Cochrane Library from 1980 to January 2017, finding 50 studies, with randomised controlled trials (RCTs, n = 5), prospective ( n = 24), cross-sectional ( n = 17) and case-control ( n = 4) studies.
- Of these, 36 studies were conducted in healthy participants and 14 on cognitively impaired individuals (including Alzheimer's and dementia).
- Vitamin C status was measured using food frequency questionnaires or plasma vitamin C.
Why it matters
This review gathered 50 studies on the link between vitamin C status and cognitive performance in healthy and cognitively impaired people. It does not report that vitamin C prevents or treats Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Study designcase-control study
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 60/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Nutrients) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Nutrients: journal h-index 331 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question (from PubMed type “Systematic Review”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2017 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 171 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 15.5 citations a year over 11 year(s) since 2017 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 65 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Andrew Pipingas: h-index 45 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Swinburne University of Technology: institution h-index 509 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 28867798) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 60 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Travica, N., Ried, K., Sali, A., Scholey, A., Hudson, I., & Pipingas, A. (2017). Vitamin C Status and Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9090960
Vancouver
Travica N, Ried K, Sali A, Scholey A, Hudson I, Pipingas A. Vitamin C Status and Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2017. doi:10.3390/nu9090960. PMID: 28867798.
BibTeX
@article{travica2017-28867798,
author = {Travica, N. and Ried, K. and Sali, A. and Scholey, A. and Hudson, I. and Pipingas, A.},
title = {{Vitamin C Status and Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review}},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.3390/nu9090960},
pmid = {28867798},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9090960}
}
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