Many people already take nutritional supplements to help keep their blood pressure in check.

Now, new research suggests that these supplements should contain vitamin C. A study published in the Nutrition Journal found that young women who consumed high levels of vitamin C tended to have lower blood pressure.

Previous research had already found an association between the vitamin and blood pressure among middle-aged and older people.

In the new study, more than 200 women between the ages of 8 and 11 were monitored for 10 years, with researchers noting both their plasma levels of vitamin C and blood pressure.

Dr. Gladys Block of the University of California-Berkeley and colleagues found an inverse relationship between these factors, with higher vitamin C correlated with lower blood pressure.

This finding “strongly suggests that vitamin C is specifically important in maintaining a healthy blood pressure,” Block told Reuters Health.

Vitamin C has also showed promise as an antioxidant that fights off free radicals, protecting the body from disease.