Vitamin C and stress hormones in women
What it found
In 69 women with high stress hormones, taking 1000 mg of vitamin C daily for 2 months lowered cortisol and DHEA-S levels.
Hormone levels barely changed in the women who did not take it.
What they found
Studies in people
Cortisol fell
In women who started with only high cortisol, the average level fell from 780 to 446 nmol/L after 2 months of vitamin C. In women with both hormones high, it fell from 657 to 515 nmol/L.
DHEA-S fell
In women with both hormones high, DHEA-S fell from 13.9 to 9.9. In women with only high DHEA-S, it fell from 12.8 to 7.8.
No supplement, no change
In the women who did not take vitamin C, changes in hormone levels were insignificant.
What the authors conclude
“The study shows that female patients with functional hypercortisolemia or elevated levels of DHEA-S can be treated with AA to bring level of these hormones closer to a normal range.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the study shows that women with high cortisol or high DHEA-S can be treated with vitamin C to bring these hormone levels closer to a normal range.
How it was done
The authors wanted to find out whether vitamin C supplements can lower cortisol and DHEA-S levels in people diagnosed with high cortisol caused by ongoing, unspecified stress.
They studied 69 women with raised cortisol or DHEA-S levels for 2 months. The women were split into three groups based on which hormones were high, and each group was randomly split again so some took 1000 mg of vitamin C by mouth each day while the others kept their usual diet. Hormone levels were checked again after 2 months.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial was small and lasted only 2 months, so it cannot show what happens over longer periods.
- It also cannot show whether the hormone changes lead to any difference in how people feel or in their health.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Astghik Medical Center, Armenia; Yerevan State Medical University Named after Mkhitar Heratsi, Armenia; Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi, Armenia
The paper
- Title
- Vitamin C supplementation alleviates hypercortisolemia caused by chronic stress
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Beglaryan N, Hakobyan G, Nazaretyan E (2024). Vitamin C supplementation alleviates hypercortisolemia caused by chronic stress. Stress and health. doi:10.1002/smi.3347PubMed 38010274DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error