Can taking vitamins C and E raise blood pressure?

Question: Can taking vitamins C and E raise blood pressure?

Answer: There are studies showing that vitamin E may help to lower blood pressure, however Vitamin E can actually cause a temporary increase in blood pressure if a person starts taking more than 400 IU per day.

Many people avoid this by taking smaller amounts of vitamin E and working up to the higher dose. Taking vitamin C may actually help to lower blood pressure.

Do not take large doses of vitamins other dietary supplements if you are taking any medications without first talking to your doctor.

_{Sources:
Schneider MP, Delles C, Schmidt BMW, Oehmer S, Schwarz TK, Schmieder RE, John S. "Superoxide Scavenging Effects of N-Acetylcysteine and Vitamin C in Subjects With Essential Hypertension." American Journal of Hypertension Volume 18, Issue 8 , August 2005, Pages 1111-1117}

Vasdev S, Gill V, Parai S, Gadag V. "Dietary vitamin E supplementation attenuates hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive rats." J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther. 2005 Jun;10(2):103-11.