Higher levels of vitamin C were linked to healthier brain structure in older adults, suggesting a potential role for nutrition in brain aging.

That’s according to new research from Japan, published in the journal PLOS ONE.

The observational study included 2,044 participants living in Hirosaki City, Japan, who were originally included in a study exploring dementia and heart disease risk. The average age was 69, and 61% of them were female.

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The researchers measured the participants’ vitamin C levels using blood samples and performed MRI scans to calculate the volume of gray matter and white matter in their brains.

Even after accounting for external factors like age, smoking habits, diabetes and other lifestyle behaviors, they found that those with lower vitamin C levels appeared to have lower brain tissue volumes and weaker structural network patterns.

“Our study demonstrates that older adults with higher blood levels of vitamin C tend to have better-preserved brain structure (gray matter) and stronger connections within the default mode network (DMN), a crucial brain network involved in memory and cognitive function,” Tomohiro Shintaku, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Radiology Graduate School of Medicine at Hirosaki University, told Fox News Digital.

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“While diets rich in vitamin C are known to lower the risk of cognitive decline, our study is the very first to demonstrate a direct association between actual blood plasma vitamin C levels and the structural connectivity of the DMN,” he added.

This network is often affected by conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression, according to the researchers.

The vitamin C measurement was more accurate than studies that relied on dietary estimates, the researchers noted.

“What I found most fascinating is that we could detect such clear associations between a single nutritional factor (vitamin C) and large-scale brain networks in a robust cohort of over 2,000 older adults,” Shintaku said. “It highlights how significantly our everyday dietary habits might impact brain structure.”

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The study underscores the importance of obtaining vitamin C from the daily diet, as humans cannot synthesize it on their own, the researchers noted.

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“Our findings suggest that maintaining optimal vitamin C levels through a healthy diet — rich in citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables — could be a simple yet powerful way to support brain health as we age,” Shintaku said.

The study did have some limitations, the researchers noted. 

“Because our study is observational and cross-sectional, we can only show an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship,” Shintaku told Fox News Digital. “Other limitations include relying on a single blood measurement per participant.”

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Other external factors, such as dietary intake, body mass index and socioeconomic variables, could have played a role in the outcomes.

Also, the link was relatively modest compared to established risk factors like high blood pressure and blood sugar, the researchers noted.

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Findings from other, larger studies, including UK Biobank research with more than 9,000 people, suggest that vitamin C is just one of several factors that may influence brain health.

Because the participants were almost all older Japanese adults, the findings may not be generalized to other populations.

“It is best viewed as a signal that vitamin C status may be one piece of a much larger brain-health picture.”

“This study found an association between higher plasma vitamin C levels and MRI markers of brain health, including gray matter volume and connectivity in the default mode network, which is involved in several cognitive functions,” Dung Trinh, MD, an internal medicine physician and founder of the Healthy Brain Clinic, commented to Medical News Today.

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“That said, the study does not prove that vitamin C prevents cognitive decline or that taking supplements will improve brain health. It is best viewed as a signal that vitamin C status may be one piece of a much larger brain-health picture.”

Veteran New York news anchor Bill Ritter revealed Friday that he has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, bringing an end to his more than two-decade run behind the WABC-TV anchor desk.

Ritter, 76, who has anchored the station’s 6 p.m. newscast in New York City since 2001, revealed during Friday’s Eyewitness News broadcast that it would be his final night anchoring the program.

“After a series of tests, my doctors have told me I have Alzheimer’s,” Ritter said during the broadcast.

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“It’s early-stage Alzheimer’s, and they say the treatments I’m getting are keeping it at bay, for now,” he continued. “But there is no guarantee, because there’s no cure yet for Alzheimer’s.”

“So, unless someone finds an amazing cure, and soon, tonight will be the last newscast I anchor,” he added.

According to ABC7, Ritter joined WABC-TV in 1998 after an extensive journalism career that included work at the Los Angeles Times, local television stations in California and positions with ABC News.

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He began anchoring the station’s 11 p.m. Eyewitness News broadcast in 1999 and was added to the flagship 6 p.m. newscast in 2001. He also anchored the station’s 5 p.m. broadcast for several years.

ABC7 reported that Ritter will remain with the station in a new role focused in part on reporting about Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions, as well as their impact on patients and families.

“For decades, Bill Ritter has covered and led New Yorkers through the stories that matter most,” WABC-TV General Manager Marilu Galvez said in a statement.

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“A defining presence at ABC7, he has done so with exceptional insight, integrity and, most of all, heart, earning the love and respect of viewers and colleagues alike,” she continued.

“While he is stepping away from daily anchoring, he will continue to be an integral part of our ABC7 family, including sharing personal updates and providing resources to help others impacted by Alzheimer’s better understand the disease and the resources available to them.”

“Bill is strong, brilliant, and resourceful, and we look forward to his continued reporting on Eyewitness News,” Galvez added.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded to Ritter’s announcement by wishing the veteran broadcaster and his family “strength in the days ahead.”

“For decades, Bill Ritter has been a trusted presence in New Yorkers’ homes, helping us make sense of the news that shape our city,” Mamdani wrote on X. “

“His courage in sharing his Alzheimer’s diagnosis will help countless families facing the same challenge feel less alone,” he continued. “Wishing Bill, his loved ones, and everyone affected by Alzheimer’s strength in the days ahead.”

Ritter’s colleagues also reacted to his announcement.

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WABC-TV reporter Lucy Yang paid tribute to Ritter’s professionalism and dedication during his decades-long career at the station.

“For decades, I’ve reported for his show and even filled in, anchored w him,” she posted on X. “He never gave less than 110% I salute you. I thank you. And I will pray for you.”

Lee Goldberg, the station’s chief meteorologist, said Ritter’s influence would continue long after he stepped away from the anchor desk.

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“He preaches be kind, take care of each other, & we’re all in this together,” Goldberg said on X. “Now, in addition to doing these things for himself & his loving family, he’ll build on his legendary legacy by helping millions who share his battle.” 

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“You’re a saint, and my hero @billritter7,” he added. “Love you.”

Ritter also noted during the broadcast that his father died of Alzheimer’s disease in 1998 after battling the illness for years.

Divorcees and the widowed may face a higher risk of death than those who are still coupled up, a new study reveals.

Researchers in Norway analyzed long-term national health data to weigh mortality risk among those who were divorced, ended situations where they lived with a partner or became widowed.

The study, published in the journal BMJ Public Health, looked at three groups of about 20,000 people each, from 1984 to 2019, who were married or living with a partner at the time.

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During the next wave of the study, these individuals were categorized into three groups: still married or cohabiting, divorced or moved out and widowed. Death records were then checked through January 2020, according to a press release.

The researchers used statistical models to gauge whether this relationship loss was associated with death later.

Divorces or breakups were consistently linked with higher mortality across all groups compared to couples who stayed together. This was the case even after accounting for factors such as age, gender, health habits, self-rated health and loneliness.

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Being widowed was also linked to about a 14% higher mortality risk, though the association was strongest in the earliest period studied.

During the second study period, the link between breakup and mortality was stronger, with a statistically significant association observed only among women.

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Although this research displays an association between living alone and mortality risk, it does not define a direct cause, the team acknowledged.

The authors commented that these findings “highlight the importance of addressing social disconnection in public health and in clinical practice to reduce preventable mortality.”

M. David Rudd, a University of Memphis professor of psychology and director of the Rudd Institute for Veteran & Military Suicide Prevention, reflected that these findings underscore what has been known for decades.

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“Loneliness has significant and severe consequences for individual physical health and emotional well-being,” said Rudd, who was not involved in the study. “We’re social beings, and relationships are essential to health, happiness and survival.

“These findings are particularly salient during this period of exponentially increasing isolation, secondary to the influential role of digital technologies.”

While limitations always exist in studies of this kind, Rudd pointed out that this longitudinal research, spanning almost four decades, offers “remarkably important contributions to understanding human behavior.”

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Divorcees and those who are widowed should understand that relationships and social engagement are “critical,” Rudd said. While these relationships don’t necessarily have to be romantic, human connection is important.

“It’s really simple,” he added. “Developing, nurturing and maintaining relationships is critical to health, well-being and happiness.”